My hands stained purple with blueberry juice, I stop to watch a group of older Czech women. All bent double, they’re picking berries and singing Wallachian folk songs, imperfect voices made perfect by easy happiness.

“You’d never see this back home,” says Cecilia, my Australian friend. She and her husband Roger came to teach English here two years ago. They had no previous connection with the Czech Republic, and now they have no plans to leave. Their kids all grown, their commitments back home minimal, they’ve succumbed to the charms of this corner of the Czech Republic: its still-flourishing folk traditions, its hilly, sheep-dotted countryside, and guitar-playing, mountain-biking, slivovice-drinking natives.

Many of my Czech friends in the small town of Vsetín don’t understand how lucky they are to live among the forested hills. When I rave about how beautiful their clear little river is, they frown as if maybe they don’t understand my English. “Every town has a river,” they say.

They don’t realize the allure of their goulash fests and Christmas markets with bell-wearing devils and blacksmith fairs held in ruined castles. I lived here four years ago, and I missed it so much I came back from my native Arizona. Many Czechs I tell this to aren’t quite sure why. I start rambling again about the river and the leaves and the horseradish mustard, and they look at me like I’m a crazy American.

Enjoying life is easy in Wallachia. Even in the small towns, culture thrives: folk dancing, live music, art expos, and academic lectures. Local libraries have modest English sections. WiFi is easy to find. Navigating the trains and buses is no problem if you want to see the myriad historical and natural sites in the region. In most Wallachian towns you don’t even need a car; you can walk or bike everywhere.  Locals are friendly, but it takes some time to really get close. Make the effort, and you’ll be rewarded.

Czech is a challenging but beautiful language. In the chief tourist areas of the country, you’ll find plenty of people who speak good English. In small-town Wallachia it’s a little harder, but the people are patient and willing to work at communication, which makes it all the more rewarding.

A touch on the heavy side, Czech cuisine involves far too much tartar sauce but is still quite tasty. A lunch special in most Wallachian restaurants consists of one of the delicious Czech soups and a main course, sometimes even a dessert or a drink, all for around four dollars, including tip. A fledgling non-smoking movement provides at least a few smoke-free options for enjoying your meal. The varied national beers go for not much more than a dollar.  Bigger supermarkets are becoming more international, with items like  mangoes, tortillas, and “American” cookies (chocolate chip).  You can even get brown sugar now in the health-food stores.

Rent is still cheap, especially for Europe.  If you search hard enough, you can find a small studio apartment in an old communist block for less than $200 a month. A nicer furnished place with two bedrooms and views of the hills may only set you back $400 to $500 a month.

The weather is a four-seasons heaven, with electric-green springs crowned with tulips; lush summers with hot days and cool days; autumns that smell of wood smoke and fallen leaves; and winters blanketed in snow, when kids play ice hockey on the rivers. Skiing is still relatively cheap, with slopes so close many Czechs go after work. If cross-country’s more your thing, you’ll easily find paths prepared for different skill levels. Hiking is good in whatever season, and the color-coded network of trails can take you as far as you want through the low green mountains.

If you’re working legally—something you can do at one of the local language schools—you can get in on the national health-care system. Obtaining a work visa is a rather long process involving some strange paperwork, lots of notaries (pricey in the Czech Republic), and money for the visa, but it’s still quite possible if you have an employer willing to help.  Otherwise you can spend 90 days there on your tourist visa to see if you like it.

Be warned, however: The place is addictive.  Roger, Cecilia, and I have all discovered this.  We breathe in deep lungfuls of the mountain air and look around for more blueberries to pick.  Roger finds a prolific patch and motions the singing ladies over.  One has a whole jar full. I joke, in halting Czech, about all the goodies she can make. She answers happily in words I don’t understand, then calls to her friends: “Where’s my Wallachian chorus?”  They begin to sing again.

If you go…

Wallachia (Valašsko) Tourist Information

Official Website.  When searching the Internet, don’t confuse this region with the area in Romania.  Though most of the site is in Czech, there’s a modest English section and lots of photos.  To see the gallery, go here, then click on the words next to the wooden door in the bottom corner to see more.

Visa Information

Czech Embassy in Washington DC.  For long-term visa requirements and applications, click on “consular information.”

Expat Advice

My Czech Republic.  A site for expats, full of articles, links, and tips on everything from travel and entertainment to language mastery and visa legalities.  You can also connect with other expats, though the site is aimed primarily at those living in Prague.

Train and Bus Schedules

The super user-friendly idos.cz combines trains and buses to find you the best route to your destination.

Principal towns in Moravian Wallachia:

Valašské Meziříčí—The most modern of the Wallachian towns, with the best transportation connections and shopping centers.

Rožnov pod Radhoštěm—Home of an excellent open-air museum, especially interesting during holiday celebrations for Easter and Christmas.  Good hiking.

Vsetín—Pleasant town with a hilltop chateau and good trails right from the center.  Head upriver toward the skiing, hiking, and mountain-biking hub of Velké Karlovice.