Visitors who choose Lipník nad Bečvou as a destination will find a striking combination of urban history and architectural heritage: the urban historic preservation area comprises around 190 houses and smaller, mostly religious buildings. There is also a bell tower in its original late Renaissance form, preserved city walls and historical interpretation options. The Škrabalka Nature Reserve and the Bečva Cycle Route add landscape and cycling as distinct highlights.
Historic Preservation Area and Architectural History
The urban historic preservation area was designated in 1989. It consists of about 190 houses and smaller, mostly religious buildings. Within the area, 105 structures are designated immovable cultural monuments. These figures give an impression both of the composition of the preservation area and of the structures designated within it. The city walls are among the best-preserved in Moravia and can be seen around the entire historic town centre. Visitors interested in architecture and urban history can thus focus on a larger ensemble as well as the visible remains of the fortifications.
The bell tower is particularly notable: it is the only one in Moravia to have survived in its original late Renaissance form. Access is subject to a seasonal restriction: from 1 May to 30 September, the tower is accessible only as part of a guided city tour. Check this rule before your trip. To this day, the Piarist College retains its 18th-century layout, with two courtyards and a monumental façade. Another historical connection is to Johann Gregor Mendel, who attended the Piarist school in Lipník nad Bečvou in 1833–1834.
Technical and horticultural features are also part of the local picture. When it was created, the rooftop garden in Lipník nad Bečvou was the first rooftop garden north of the Alps. The town’s clock mechanism is a rare technical monument. Together with the bell tower and the city walls, it broadens the view of the architectural heritage beyond the major ensembles.
Historical Topics to Explore
Visitor information and programme details from 2025 present a range of ways to explore the town’s history. An exhibition on the history of the gendarmerie and police corps is described as offering insight into the development of the town’s security forces. The public programme report describes Lipenský okruh as a year-round game that takes participants to significant monuments in an entertaining way. Also featured is the discovery trail Po stopách lipenských židů, which introduces players to the Jewish history and monuments of Lipník nad Bečvou. The 2025 visitor report also mentions special tours focusing on Jewish and religious monuments, parks and gardens, blacksmithing, and the stories of local heroes.
The formats offer different emphases: Lipenský okruh combines a game with significant monuments, while Po stopách lipenských židů focuses specifically on Jewish history. The special tours mentioned cover further topics such as gardens, crafts and religious monuments. Those who want to choose according to their own interests can therefore find several different ways to explore local history.
Škrabalka and the Bečva Cycle Route
The Škrabalka Nature Reserve consists of pools in an oxbow of the Bečva, surrounded by floodplain forest and meadows. This description gives the nature theme a concrete form: water, woodland and meadows shape the protected landscape. The Bečva Cycle Route passes through Lipník nad Bečvou on the Valašské Meziříčí–Hranice–Lipník nad Bečvou–Přerov–Tovačov route. Between Hranice and Přerov, the cycle route includes a 26-kilometre section without motorised traffic. This length refers to the section between the two towns, not to the entire cycle route.
Discover more destinations: Dolní Újezd, Čechy U Přerova, Milenov, Kojetín, Dobrčice, Hranice I-Město, Teplice Nad Bečvou, Čelechovice.
For the broader travel overview: Okres Přerov.
