Lysá hora (1324 m a.s.l.) is the highest peak of the Moravian-Silesian Beskids and the undisputed rooftop of Czech Silesia. Its bare, windswept summit crowned by a striking 78-metre telecommunications tower is visible from miles around — and the views from the top are absolutely worth the climb.
Do not let the modest elevation fool you: Lysá hora is one of the coldest, wettest and windiest places in the entire Czech Republic. Snow cover lingers from October through May and can exceed two metres in depth — the all-time record of 491 cm was set here back in March 1911. In summer, clear days reward hikers with sweeping panoramas across the Beskids, while autumn paints the forests in deep amber and gold. Four main ridges radiate from the summit, and the surrounding nature reserves protect ancient spruce forests, the Satina waterfalls and fascinating pseudo-karst caves known as Ondrášovy díry.
How to reach the summitLocal legend has it that witches from all over Silesia gathered on this summit to dance any stray wanderer to their death — a suitably dramatic story for one of the most atmospheric peaks in Moravia. The oldest organised hiking event in Europe, the so-called Bezručův výšlap, has taken place here every autumn for over 60 years.