Pustevny and Radhošť! I don’t believe that there is anyone who doesn’t know the marvellous and colourful buildings by Dušan Jurkovič. The Maměnka hotel and the Libušín restaurant are shining with new beauty because they have recently been reconstructed. The entire area was announced an object of National Cultural Heritage in 1995. No one who has ever visited Pustevny will ever forget the lovely decoration, friendly warmth of the wooden houses, decorated gables, towers, wooden arcades in front of the entrance and in the gallery. Sheer beauty. Sensitively planted in the wilderness. Despite this fact they offer comfortable and modern accommodation, delicious cuisine and services of European standard. Pustevny welcome guests in winter with the glitter of millions of reflections of snow crystals, and in spring, summer and autumn with the green light of the surrounding forests.

Visiting Pustevny and failing to salute Radegast, the legendary god of the sun and war, might not pay. The statue of this god is situated on the nature trail that bears the same name only one and a half kilometres from Pustevny. Legends say that the statue stood there as early as the 9th century. There is no reason why we shouldn’t believe the legend. And we might as well believe another tale that says that Cyril and Methodius had the statue hewn down and buried and ordered that a cross be raised in its stead. Nowadays all three characters stand close to each other. The statue of Radegast, the statues of Cyril and Methodius as well as a chapel consecrated to them. Together they look down on the swarming humans in peace and wish them good luck and happy returns, each in his own way. If the ancient reminiscences make you feel tired, you can rest in the hotel's restaurant - Radegast.

Then you can follow the path descending the slopes of Moravskoslezské Beskydy, that will take you to one of the three centres of Moravia Wallachia, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm. One of them is the Radegast nature trail, which we have already mentioned. To the centre of the Rožnov region. To the town that is, due to its location and infrastructure an attractive tourist centre as well as the starting point of trips to the surroundings of the town. These trips may follow the marked nature trails of Čertův mlýn and Hradisko, for example. However, we will not give away the secrets that these trails conceal. You can come and check on your own. However, we can give you some advice. You mustn’t forget to visit the illustrious Wallachia open-air museum. This museum has succeeded in gathering a unique collection of folk architecture. The wooden church, farm, huts as well as other buildings are divided into three thematic segments: The Wooden Town, Wallachian Village and Mill Valley. All year round, the museum organizes programmes consisting of more than sixty folklore festivals, presentations of traditional crafts and customs that share the name of Wallachian Year. This is where you can taste many regional specialities, in short, feel truly "Wallachian”.

The surroundings of Valašské Meziříčí bear the name of Valašskomeziříčsko – Kelečsko. We don’t have to wonder very hard why it is called Valašskomeziříčsko. The reconstructed château of the Žerotín family and the château of the Kinský family house several cultural events. The museum offers many exhibits. The oldest citizen’s house, „U dvanácti apoštolů“ was built as early as 1598. This is where the trail of Jan Karafiát, the author of the unforgettable Beetles, begins. This town also offers sports grounds, tennis and volleyball courts, swimming pools, accommodation, pleasant restaurants and cosy pubs. But why is the region called Kelečsko? Perhaps because the landscape becomes flat a few kilometres from Valašské Meziříčí and stretches towards the region of Kroměříž. The landscape is therefore utterly different from the sceneries of Moravskoslezské Beskydy. The landscape resembles Haná somewhat. Yes, even those who are not as strong may get on their bikes and go cycling in this part of the region. They can wander from one village to another, for there will be places of interest in each of them. A Renaissance château in Choryně, the hill on which Nemětice lies offers a marvellous view of Hostýnské vrchy and Moravskoslezské Beskydy, Loučka conceals Tomáš Baťa's country manor, Podolí boasts a wooden bell tower whose bell was made in 1798 and in the nearby village of Lázy there is a linden tree over two hundred years old. If you wanted to embrace the entire diameter of its trunk, your arms would have to be almost four and half meters long. In every village you will find a church or at least a chapel, there are places with ancient burial mounds where you can search for the true meaning of the term “Eneolithic".

The third microregion of Wallachia is Vsetínsko - Horní Vsacko.
Do you know what Wallachian "kotáry” are? They are wooded hills surrounding the town of Vsetín. These hills offer views of Vsetínské, Hostýnské and Vizovické vrchy. Their evergreen slopes bring wholesome and fragrant air into the town, the summer sun warms the grassy beaches and the waters of the lakes of Bystřička and Nový Hrozenkov, where you can spend an unforgettable holiday in a tent or a guest house. You may go fishing, swimming, cycling. It will simply feel like heaven. The town of Vsetín, divided into upper and lower parts by the river Vsetínská Bečva will not disappoint you, either. The observation tower of Vsetín château offers a view of the surroundings of the town and you can plan further trips. The Bečva cycling path or the nature trails around Vsetín will guide you to many wonderful places. In winter you can simply replace the bike with skis and cross the country until late afternoon. Sweetly tired in the evening, seek refreshment at the indoor swimming pool or the town spa. However, Vsetín is not the only place where you will find hotels and guest houses. You will find a camping site with a swimming pool on the banks of Semetínský potok. There are paths from Jablůnka to the hills of Hostýnské vrchy. There is a memorial linden six and half metres in diameter in the meadows or an Empire style château in Hošťálkov. To cut it short – there is something for everyone. This is Vsetínsko.

And Horní Vsacko? This name refers especially to the valley of the river Vsetínská Bečva, poetic Huslenky, inspiring Halenkov, Nový Hrozenov, Karolinka as far as Velké Karlovice and the Slovakian border.
Hornolidečsko is the last of the Wallachian microregions. It is the area lying south-east of Vsetín. We would hardly be able to find another area with similarly clean and beautiful nature in the Czech Republic. The valley of the river Senice, Vizovická vrchovina, Čertovy skály with rock faces offering marvellous climbing adventures, or Čubův kopec with wooden observation tower almost identical to the one that has recently been built above Valašské Klobouky. Čubův kopec has a view of the basin between Javorníky and Vizovické vrchy and, if you are lucky enough you will see the remote ridges of the White Carpatians. The slopes and ski-runs in the region are swarming with skiers in winter, the white tracks will guide you to other places with marvellous views, you may admire the peaceful beauty of traditional houses covered with snow. On the other hand, autumn will paint the landscape with many colours, and summer and spring, this is sheer poetry. The fields on the slopes are still tended by farmers who have never given their horses away, the meadows are full of blooming saffron crocuses and the banks of the fishponds around Lačnov are visited by patient fishers. Do you feel like sitting with them for a while, doing nothing except watching the bobbing of the cork and chatting about the weather, where is the best beer on tap, where do they cook well or which direction you should take next?

However, you will find this information at the tourist information centres too:
Valašsko-Kelečsko Microregion Development Agency, Information Centre, Komenského 169/4a,
757 01 Valašské Meziříčí, tel.:
www.valasskemezirici.cz
Information Centre ČSOP – Pustevny,
756 57 Horní Bečva, tel.: +420 556 801 949,
e-mail:icpustevny@seznam.cz
Information Centre Vsetín, Dolní náměstí 1356,
755 01 Vsetín, tel.: +420 571 491 517,
e-mail:ic@mestovsetin.cz, www.mestovsetin.cz, www.vsetin.mic.cz
Information Centre Horní Lideč,
756 12 Horní Lideč, tel.: +420 571 447 261,
e-mail: knihovna.hlidec@wo.cz, www.hornolidecsko.cz