Since we can finally travel further than to the backyard of our house, it is time to explore interesting places around Brno and in the Moravian region. We created a list of 8 castles that are definitely worth seeing:
Lednice Castle
This castle is located only 50 km from Brno, so you can get there in about an hour if you take a train. Since 1945 this castle is state property, and it is managed by the Ministry of Culture. The castle is surrounded by a park almost 200 ha big, making it one of the largest parks in Europe. In this park, you can find the Palm House, the Venetian fountain, the Roman aqueduct, the Chinese Pavilion, artificial ruins minaret, and the Johns Castle.
Valtice Castle 
If you take a 9 kilometres long walk from the Lednice castle, you will reach the Valtice castle. Like the castle in Lednice, this castle was the seat of the Liechtenstein family until the post-war confiscation. Many famous European builders participated in constructing this castle, and the extensive Baroque decorations are the castle’s pride to this day. In 1996 the whole Lednice-Valtice Area was listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site. Close to this area is also Mikulov where you can find another castle that used to belong to the Lichenstein family.
Pernštejn Castle 
Only 40 kilometres away from Brno is a beautiful historic castle, located above the village of Nedvědice, called Pernštejn. This exceptionally well-preserved medieval castle used to be a seat of the lords of Pernštejn. During the centuries, it went through many extensive renovations. However, the Late Gothic and Early Renaissance form of the castle has not been affected by further rebuilding. It is quite a unique example of the transformation of a medieval fortress into a luxurious Renaissance seat.
Veveří Castle 
To see this castle, you don’t even have to travel outside of Brno. Castle is located on the west side of the city district Bystrc, about twelve kilometres northwest of the city centre, on a rocky promontory above the Brno dam. It is one of the largest and oldest castles in the whole Czech Republic. To make your trip to the Veveří castle more fun, you can use boat transport.
Kroměříž castle
The archbishop’s castle in Kroměříž is one of the most important cultural monuments in Moravia from the Baroque period. The popularity of this castle is based mainly on its two beautiful gardens – the Castle Garden and the Flower Garden. These gardens are among the best examples of landscape art in Europe; therefore, both inspired many artists all over the European continent for centuries.
Bouzov Castle 
This romantic castle is located in the countryside of Litovel and Mohelnice. Bouzov is very popular in Czech cinematography.
Since 1959 this castle occurred in more than 14 Czech movies and fairy tales. It is also on the list of the ten most-visited castles in the Czech Republic. In 1999 the castle was declared a national cultural monument.
Buchlov Castle 
The royal castle Buchlov, standing on top of the eponymous hill in Buchlovice, is one of the oldest castles in the Czech Republic. Its history and architecture also make Buchlov one of the most important castles in Moravia. It was initially built as an important strategic point and administrative centre on the eastern borders of the Lands of the Bohemian Crowns. In 2001 it was also declared a national cultural monument.
Vranov nad Dyjí Castle 
This castle lies on the southern border of the Czech Republic, in the western part of National Park Podyjí, and is one of the most valuable Central European baroque buildings. Its current form bears the imprint of the Althanns, who held it for over 100 years, together with a significant contribution from the imperial architect Johann Bernhard Fischer of Erlach. Like many castles in the Czech Republic, this one was also declared a national cultural monument.
If you decide to explore some of the castles on the list, do not hesitate to share your pictures and tag us in your posts using @esnmendelubrno and the hashtag #traveltipsESNmendelu. And if you are not a fan of history and castles, you can find other travel tips on our blog!