The Lachian Gate of the Beskydy

Lachian Gate of the Beskydy (Lašská brána Beskyd) is a small tourist area situated in the northeast of Moravia, in the Podbeskydy countryside, which creates an imaginary gateway to the Beskydy Mountains. Lachian Gate is an ideal destination for excursions and holidays offering both picturesque and secluded forest nooks and castle ruins, the charm of splendid views, the dignity of monumental buildings, the secrets of human crafts, and the stories of famous figures. Lachian Gate consists of fairytale Štramberk known as Moravian Bethlehem, Kopřivnice with its Tatra automobile gems, Freud’s Příbor – one of the oldest towns in northeastern Moravia or the music filled Hukvaldy of Janáček.



The foundation of the settlement of Kopřivnice is connected with the construction of the Šostýn castle at the end of the 13th century. There is a link between the first written record of Kopřivnice (dates back to 1437) and the scroll of the emperor Sigismund of Luxemburg. In 1621 the town was plundered by the Valachians and the uneasy situation of the local serfs lead to farmers' uprisings. Ignác Šustala played an important role in the development of Kopřivnice. In 1897, his company manufactured one of the first cars in the world, Präsident. In 1948, Kopřivnice was granted the status of town.


The town was founded by the Moravian margrave John Henry of Luxembourg, who granted the lower castle village the status of a town in his scroll in 1359. During the beginning of the Thirty Years' War Štramberk devolved upon the Jesuits, who restored the local pilgrimage tradition. The opening of the limestone quarry at the end of the 19th century supported the economic development of the town, where more important buildings were built. Thanks to its many historic sights Štramberk was designated a municipal preserve.


The first written record of the town appeared in the scroll of the Moravian margrave Přemysl. It dates back to 12th December 1251. Příbor, with its parish church and Cistercian monastery became the administrative, economic and cultural centre and belonged to the administration of the bishops of Olomouc. Příbor became famous as a centre of education in north Moravia. A Piarist college with its grammar school and a teachers' institute were located here. This historical town was designated a municipal preserve.


The destiny of Hukvaldy was influenced by nearby Příbor and closely linked to the massive fortified castle, which was founded in the first half of 13th century by the counts of Hückeswagen. The castle was passed on to the Olomouc bishops and it was occupied until the devastating fire in the middle of 18th century.