Beskydy Protected Landscape Area

Chráněná krajinná oblast Beskydy is the largest protected landscape area in the Czech Republic, spread across the Moravian-Silesian and Zlín regions close to the borders with Poland and Slovakia. The village of Horní Bečva lies within its boundaries, making it a convenient base for exploring both the Moravian-Silesian Beskids and the neighbouring protected ranges.

What area does the protected landscape cover?

The reserve is not limited to a single mountain range. It takes in the entire Moravian-Silesian Beskids, together with parts of the Vsetín Hills and parts of the Javorníky range. This combination means the landscape within the protected area varies considerably, from steep, forested ridgelines to the gentler, rolling terrain found along its edges.

The total area covers 1160.0 km², making it by far the largest of all protected landscape areas in the Czech Republic. For a visitor based around Horní Bečva, this practically means that hiking routes in the surrounding hills stay within the boundaries of this one, extensive protected territory almost the entire time.

When and why was the area protected?

The Beskydy protected landscape area was established on 16 March 1973. Its legal basis was regulation No. 5373 issued by the Minister of Culture of the Czechoslovak Republic on 5 March 1973. The decision to protect such an extensive territory was therefore made back in the Czechoslovak era, more than a decade before the country split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The fact that the protection covers three distinct ranges — the Moravian-Silesian Beskids, the Vsetín Hills and the Javorníky — shows that the goal behind the regulation was to preserve one coherent, large-scale natural complex rather than a scattering of isolated reserves.

Where exactly is the protected area located?

The coordinates given for the area are approximately 49.45°N, 18.33°E, placing it in a region administratively split between the Moravian-Silesian and Zlín regions. This is the eastern part of the Czech Republic, close to the Polish and Slovak borders, which makes the Beskydy a natural continuation of mountain ranges known on the Polish side as the Silesian Beskids and the Żywiec Beskids.

Horní Bečva, the village linked to this entry, sits right at the heart of this territory, within the Moravian-Silesian Beskids — a convenient starting point for exploring the surrounding peaks and valleys covered by the landscape protection.

Frequently asked questions

Is Beskydy a national park? No — it is a protected landscape area (Czech: chráněná krajinná oblast), a different conservation category from a national park. In the Czech nature-protection system, a CHKO typically covers a larger territory where limited economic activity is still permitted, unlike the stricter rules applied in national parks.

How large is the protected area? 1160.0 km² — the largest protected landscape area in the entire Czech Republic, spanning three mountain ranges.

Since when has the area been protected? Since 16 March 1973, under a regulation issued by the Minister of Culture of the Czechoslovak Republic on 5 March 1973.

Which mountain ranges are included? The whole Moravian-Silesian Beskids, plus parts of the Vsetín Hills and the Javorníky.

Is Horní Bečva located within the protected area? Yes, the village lies within the Moravian-Silesian Beskids and is therefore inside the Beskydy protected landscape area.