Moravia-Silesia - Geography

Geography

The geography of the region varies considerably, compromising many landforms from lowlands to high mountains whose summits lie above the tree line.

In the west lie the Hrubý Jeseník mountains, with the highest mountain of the region, and all Moravia), Praděd, rising 1491 meters. The mountains are heavily forested, with many spectacular places and famous spas such as Karlova Studánka and Jeseník) and are therefore very popular with tourists. There are also several ski resorts, including Červenohorské Sedlo and Ovčárna, with long-lasting snow cover. The Hrubý Jeseník mountains slowly merge into the rolling hills of the Nízký Jeseníks and Oderské Vrchy, rising to 800m at Slunečná and 680m at Fidlův Kopec respectively.

To the east, the landscape gradually descends into the Moravian Gate (Moravská brána) valley with the Bečva and Odra rivers. The former flows to the south-west, the latter to the north-east, where the terrain spreads into the flat Ostrava and Opava basins (Ostravská a Opavská pánev), where most of the population lives. The region's heavy industry, which has been in decline for the last decade, is located there too, benefiting from huge deposits of hard coal. The confluence of the rivers Odra and Olše is the lowest point of the region, at 195 m.

To the south-east, towards the Slovakian border, the landscape sharply rises into the Moravian-Silesian Beskids (Czech: Moravskoskoslezské Beskydy) (often referred to just as Beskydy), with its highest mountain Lysá Hora (Bald Mountain) at 1323 m, which is considered to be the place with the highest annual rainfall in the Czech Republic, 1,500 mm (100 in) a year. The mountains are heavily forested and serve as a holiday resort for the industrial north.