REGION

Valašské Athény

Athens of Wallachia

Valašské Meziříčí lies at the confluence

of Vsetínská and Rožnovská Bečva and is

the gateway to the Beskid mountains and

Vsetín hills. The cadastre also includes the

local parts of Bynina, Hrachovec, Juřinka,

Krásno nad Bečvou, Lhota and Podlesí.

First historical mentions of Meziříčí date

back to 1297. The village of Krásno was

also founded in a neighboring area and

in 1491 it was promoted to a small town.

In 1924, Meziříčí and Krásno merged

into what we now know as Valašské

Meziříčí. The city lies at the confluence of

the Rožnovská and Vsetínská Bečva rivers.

Its location serves as the entry gate into

the Moravian-Silesian Beskid Mountains.

The town hall regularly invests tens of

millions of crowns into revitalizing local

apartment housing, kindergartens and

primary schools. The city also does not

neglect the development of its sports

facilities and is preparing a series of

projects aided by grant programs that

will focus on planting trees and managing

greenery not only within city borders, but

also in its surroundings.

Valašské Meziříčí is often nicknamed

the „Athens of Wallachia“, because the

city is a traditional center of education

in Wallachia with a rich offer of cultural

life and a long history. It has a summer

stadium that features three football fields

and an athletic track. Right next to it is an

indoor swimming pool with a water slide,

a relaxation swimming pool and even

an outdoor aquapark. The city’s winter

stadium offers ice hockey and ice skating,

and also has a bowling alley. You can also

find outdoor tennis courts and indoor

halls for tennis and badminton in Valašské

Meziříčí. Finally, the shores of the Bečva

river feature a shipyard with a slalom

course. Some of the biggest local sports

events include the annual Wallachian

Rally, hockey and football matches,

and the international student football

tournament, VALMEZ CUP.

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