Lipník nad Bečvou is a small town located in the Olomouc Region, in the eastern part of the Czech Republic. The nearest larger towns are Přerov and Hranice, approximately ten to twelve kilometers (six to eight miles) distant. Lipník lies on the north bank of the Bečva river, and the Oderské Vrchy mountain range rises a short distance to the north. The town lies in the vicinity of the castle Helfštýn, built to guard the Moravská Brána, the Moravian Gate, a depression between the Oderské Vrchy and the Western Carpathians allowing a low-lying route from the Polish plains. For several centuries, Lipnik was an important waypoint on the Amber Road which passes through the Moravian Gate.