Lipník nad Bečvou (ˈlɪpɲiːk ˈnad bɛtʃvou̯; ) is a small town located in the Olomouc Region

Olomouc Region

Olomouc Region is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located in the north-western and central part of its historical region of Moravia and in a small part of the historical region of Silesia . It is named for its capital Olomouc.-External links:* *...

, in the eastern part of the Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

. The nearest larger towns are Přerov

Prerov

Přerov is a town in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic where the Bečva river flows through. Přerov is a statute town . It has population of about 47,373 to January 2, 2008. Přerov is about 22 km south west of Olomouc. In the past it was a major crossroad in the heart of Moravia in the...

 and Hranice, approximately ten to twelve kilometers (six to eight miles) distant.

The town lies in the vicinity of the castle

Castle

A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...

 Helfštýn

Helfštýn

Helfštýn, is a castle 15 km east of Přerov, in the Olomouc region in Central Moravia, Czech Republic. The history of Helfštýn is closely related to the development of the nearby town of Lipník nad Bečvou, which has a number of valuable architectural monuments, among them the classical château and...

, at the same level as Moravská brána. It is an ancient town with an extraordinary large square in the shape of the letter L and very interesting set of sights. The town may be proud of the well-established historical centre with a Renaissance

Renaissance

The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...

 town hall, baroque

Baroque

The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...

 fountains and Renaissance houses with arcades

Arcade (architecture)

An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....

. Just next to the square, the James´ Parish Church with a unique bell tower

Bell tower

A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...

 forms the view point of the square. Besides that, the Castle, the former piaristic monastery with the St.Francis´ Serafín church and the synagogue

Synagogue

A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...

 are situated here. A numerous Jewish community lived here; two unique cemeteries are the evidence of this.

Leipnik is also an unusual surname which comes from the name of the town.

External links

Official website