The best hiking routes in Moravian-Silesian Region

The Moravian-Silesian Region in the east of Czechia offers a choice between two distinct mountain landscapes and a flat river basin. In the east, CHKO Beskydy dominates with its steep, forested sandstone ridges, deep valleys, and traditional wooden cottages. Walking here often means climbing through dense spruce and beech forests on stony paths, where the terrain is physically demanding but clearly defined. To the northwest, CHKO Jeseníky presents a different character, featuring high, rounded peat-covered ridges and open alpine meadows above the treeline. The paths here are often wide and gravelly, leading to exposed summits where the vegetation is stunted by the harsh climate.

Between these mountain ranges lies the flat alluvial plain of CHKO Poodří. This area is characterized by wet meadows, oak-hornbeam forests, and a network of ponds, where the walking is entirely flat on dirt tracks and occasionally muddy paths. It is a working agricultural and fish-farming landscape, which means you will share the space with local forestry and pond management activities rather than mountain tourists.

When choosing where to walk, expect steep climbs and dense forest cover in CHKO Beskydy, whereas CHKO Jeseníky offers more expansive, open ridge walks but with longer exposure to the elements. Neither area offers jagged, rocky alpine peaks, as both ranges are geologically older, rounded massifs. In October, the beech forests of CHKO Beskydy turn a deep copper, making it a distinct season for forest walking, while the high meadows of CHKO Jeseníky turn yellow and dry.