Mikulov

The city and its surroundings will be attractive to all those who lead active lifestyles. The area is dotted with a network of bicycle paths - which stretch over 1200 kilometers. In the lagoons of the near-by Novomlynske Lake there are perfect conditions for swimming, water sports and fishing. Lovers of nature, walking tourism and monuments also will not go empty-handed: carefully marked tourist trails lead to amazing natural and historical attractions in the province.

The Castle. Perched on a rocky cliff, for several centuries already the castle has been an expressive dominant of Mikulov. Previously, the castle was owned by the Liechtensteins, who received it from King Premysl Otakar II by the Feofment Law; then, in the 16th century the castle passed to the Dietrichsteins who after a fire in 1719 gave the present look to it. In 1945, during the retreat of the German army, the castle was burned to the ground, and only due to the efforts of the “Society for renewal of the Mikulov castle" it was reconstructed in the 50-s. The most interesting parts of the castle are a library and the Hall of ancestors. Now the Regional Museum is here, exhibiting several interesting expositions.

Historic squares. Today’s downtown area emerged in the last decades of the 16th century, when the city square was moved into the place in front of the castle. In the first half of the 17th century a lot of Renaissance buildings grew around, which have retained their form till today. One of them - "At the knight’s" is decorated with magnificent sgraffito. Another attraction of the square is the Baroque pillar of the Holy Trinity.

The tomb of the Dietrichstein family – the Church of St. Anne with a copy of the Holy cup of Italian Loreto grew up in the bottom of the urban square in the years of 1623-1656. Later the church became the family tomb of the Dietrichsteins.

Monuments of the Jewish community. Mikulov’s history is inextricably linked with the Jewish community, one of the largest in Moravia. Since the middle of the XVI century until 1851 Mikulov was the seat of the district’s rabbinate. From the vast Jewish ghetto a synagogue remained, a number of houses and an ancient cemetery on the western slope of the Goat Hill.

Kozi Hradek is one of three rocky landmarks of Mikulov. After a recent renovation the place has become a great affordable recreation center.

The Holy Hill is another bright natural dominant of Mikulov, declared a nature reserve. At the top of the hill you will find the temple of St.Sebastjan, a belfry and other sacred buildings of the cross road.

The Na Turold Cave is the largest known cave of the Pavlov Hills. The length of its transitions, halls and houses is more than 1 km. The peculiarities of the cave are the "turold" decorations and bats’ winter quarters.

Mikulov is situated in the heart of the wine region, so here you will find numerous wine trails, with stops in cozy wine cellars and wine tasting in wine bars. "Palavske vinobrani" – the wine celebration, taking place in the second weekend of September in every corner of the region – has become a part of life not only of locals but also of regular visitors of the district.