Memorial to Great Moravia in Mikulčice

Over a thousand years ago, Mikulčice was the center of the Great Moravian Empire, one of the oldest Slavic states. Here you can learn about the times when it was ruled by Prince Rostislav (846-870), with the story of missionaries Cyril and Methodius, and you will get to know Moravia when it was the cradle of Slavic education, culture and Christianity.

The city a thousand years ago

On a slightly elevated plateau near the meandering river Morava once towered a mighty fortress with stone walls as high as eight meters in some places. With numerous marshes and blind outlets, the river Morava provided natural protection for the location; during floods, the fortress actually found itself on an island. Mikulčice is a world-renowned center of Slavonic church architecture, because archaeological teams managed to uncover the foundations of twelve churches here. A circular trail with information panels will guide you around them all year round.

The largest Great Moravian Church

Another highlight is a tour of an exhibition, which won the Gloria Musaealis award in the category of museum exhibitions of 2008. The exhibition, together with museum exhibits that offer audio narrations, music and film screenings, will show you the authentic excavated foundations of a three-aisled basilica with a foyer, atrium and tomb pits with dimensions of 36.5 x 12 meters, the largest Great Moravian place of worship yet discovered. You will also see models of all Mikulčice churches, the royal palace and how Valy fortress appeared in the 9th century.

Another pavilion and 30-meter high tower are set to open in 2015 to make it possible for you to gain a bird’s eye view of the fortress and see the still visible outlines of the former acropolis, river channels, individual buildings, and other details.

Valy u Mikulčic, of course, is not the only center of the Great Moravian Empire. Others making the historians’ list are Staré Město u Uherského Hradiště, Olomouc and Velehrad, Hradiště u Znojma and Rajhrad.