The Valtice Chateau
The baroque chateau with a chapel is the dominant feature of the town, which is proud to posses the official title „the capital city of wine“. The National Viticulture Centre (Národní vinařské centrum) is situated here with the public degustation exposition of the Wine Salon of the Czech Republic. Valtice, together with close Lednice are part of the Lednice-Valtice Area belonging to the UNESCO worldwide cultural heritage.
The Colonnade Reistna
Stands on a hill south of Valtice. From the open top of the Colonnade there is a beautiful view of the Lednice-Valtice Area and the surroundings. Here on the current Czech-Austrian border, Joseph I. of Liechtenstein let to build this monumental classicistic architecture inspired by the colonnade in Schönbrunn. He dedicated it to the memory of his father Franz Joseph I. and his brothers Philip and Alois Joseph I. of Liechtenstein. The structure finished in 1817 was designed by Joseph Hardmuth in 1810.
The Lednice Chateau
Is the main dominant feature of Lednice, it is surrounded by the park with the Minaret and the Janův hrad (John´s castle). In the premises you can also visit the Malawi aquarium or the birds of prey flight show.
The Minaret
The outlook-tower Minaret is situated in the Lednice garden about 2 km north of the Chateau. Two ways lead to the Minaret around the Chateau fishpond, there are remainders of an Aqueduct along one of them. You can also get there on the Dyje river by tourist boats which are cruising here or by horse drawn carriages riding on dusty ways.
The John´s Castle
It is located about 4 km east of Lednice. It was built on the Podivín cadastre and it is really strange. It looks like a medieval ruin, but it was built in the beginning of the 19th century, it stands on swamps.
The Diana´s Temple - Rendezvous
Called as the Diana´s Temple, is located about 3 km north-east of Valtice. The triple-decker monument was probably inspired by one of the arcs of triumph in the ancient Rome and was built in 1812 by John I. of Lichtenstein.
The Pond Chateau
About 2 km south of Lednice on the north slope leading down to the Middle Pond. Like many other follies of the Lednice-Valtice Area, the Pond Chateau was used for the favourite hobby of the aristocracy – hunting. The lords came here to open the hunting for birds and fish.
The Chapel of St. Hubert
The Chapel of St. Hubert is located between Lednice and Valtice about 3 km north-east of Valtice. It is not any old man meditating in Turkish sitting position under a tree, but it is a Gothic three-sided chapel. The attribute „Gothic“ is not exactly right. St. Hubert is the youngest structure of the Lednice-Valtice Area, it was built in 1855, Gothic is only his appearance.
The New Yard
The New Yard is located about 3 km south of Lednice near the Middle and the Mill Ponds. The building of the New Yard is evidence that even utility facilities can look nice. The building on the hillock rising from the Lednice pond banks served as stables and lodgings for employees. The Empire structure has a very nice round Rotunda in the middle of the foreside, there is a beautifully painted private room there.
The Apollo´s Temple
The Apollo´s Temple is located on the hillock above the Mill Pond. It is situated on the red hikers tour connecting Lednice and Valtice, about 3 km south-east of Lednice. The interior part is not accessible for the public. The folly looks like cut out of a romantic fairytale. Its outstanding feature is not the size but the beauty. It is decorated by Doric columns, classicistic railing and a winding staircase.
The Obelisk
Called “Slap” is situated about 3 km north of Lednice. There are two theories explaining why the slim Obelisk was built north of Lednice. The first one says that at this place where the monument is located today, the Princess slapped the face of the Prince. The evidence for that could be that the natives do not call the Obelisk with any other name but „Slap“. Different versions of folk legends that we can find in old books and scrapbooks vary in the answer why the Prince gained such dishonour. One historician says that he had lost a whole village in cards. Other people say that he was punished by the Princess for his infidelity. But the inscription on the Obelisk shows that the construction had nothing to do with the slapping. It was built to commemorate the peace treaty between France and Austria in 1797.
The Temple of the three Graces
The Temple of the Three Graces is situated about 5 km north-east of Valtice. Interesting is that actually they are not any Graces at all. The sculptural group represents the three ancient goddesses: Athena, Aphrodite and Artemis. Except of the first letter they have a light smile and a plump figure in common. They would not be accepted on today´s fashion shows but in comparison with their “competitors” from the Peter Paul Rubens´ pictures they are thin. The sculpture was made from one piece of stone by Leopold Fischer and originally it decorated the Chateau garden in Lednice.
The Belveder
The small chateau Belveder is situated about 1 km north of Valtice. It represents the beauty of simplicity. The small chateau Belveder was built on the north border of Valtice by Joseph Hardmuth. The Prince´s instruction was to „build a nice pheasantry“and the architect succeeded in that task more than well. He designed the structure so that not only the pheasants liked it but even the building experts. The aristocracy that came here from time to time was impressed by the marvellous view. Near Mikulov, surrounded by vineyards and Pálava rocks, lies open in front of you.
The Hunting Chateau
The Hunting Chateau is situated about 2 km east of Lednice. There are several hunting chateaus in the Lednice-Valtice Area, but only one of them is directly called so. The Hunting Chateau served as forester´s house. The architecture of Classicist period is represented by two-storied Hunting Lodge with loggia decorated by Tuscan columns. The curious ladies could watch from terrace chases that took place on the meadow in front of the lodge. When the sun went down, the nobility did not need to travel any long way to the feast. The John´s Castle – the romantic ruin where they could eat, drink and dance after the chases – is nearly one kilometre far from here.
The Border Chateau
The Border Chateau is situated about 4 km north of Valtice on the blue hiking tour connecting Valtice with Mikulov. There is a nice landscape and architecture monuments around the Lednice Ponds. The family Liechtenstein gave such appearance to the landscape in the beginning of the 19th century. The Border Chateau was built as summer house for the nobility who came here mainly in the summer time. They did not have much obligations therefore they could watch from the balcony the shining pond, that glittered like gold during the day, fell into a dark red fog in the evening and awake into a sky-blue in the morning.
The Pohansko Chateau
The Area Pohansko is located about 3 km south of Břeclav. When the family Liechtenstein let build the Empire hunting chateau Pohansko in the beginning of the 19th century, they did not know that they selected a place originally occupied by the old Slavics. The folly with mighty side arcades are decorated by reliefs with hunting scenes and scenes from antic mythology. The chateau was designed personally by the inventor of the pen Joseph Hardmuth. Today, the visitors come to visit the exposition exhibiting the finding of archaeological excavations here.
The Orphan´s Castle
The romantic ruin of the Orphan´s Castle and its typical silhouette belongs to the Pálava hills like "Romeo to Juliet". Whether you only drive through these surroundings or you came to admire this region scenting after wine, the Orphan´s Castle will watch you everywhere. A small castle from the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries has a very interesting ground plan consisting of two parts.
The Cat´s Rock
Natural monument situated along the way from Mikulov to Klentnice. Under protection by CHKO Pálava (Protection Landscape Area). The reason is the protection of the limestone rocky formation with the steppe vegetation typical for Pálava (Adonis vernalis – Spring Pheasant´s Eye, Pulsatilla grandis – Pasque Flower etc.).
The Maiden´s Castle Děvičky
West of Pavlov, on a steep inaccessible rock there is a ruin of a castle which used to be very important and very strong, called Děvičky, Maiden´s Castle, Maidberk (Maidenburg). The first record originates from the year 1222 under the Slavic name Dewiczky. In front of the castle there are three rocky cliffs. According to a legend those should be petrified girls. From that the name the Maiden´s Castle or Maidenburg was derived.
Information was taken over from www.lednicko-valticky-areal.cz
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