Valtice

Valtice is located in the region of wine, in South Moravia, only a few kilometres from Brno on the border of the Czech Republic and Austria. And like all the towns and villages in South Moravia, Valtice is also surrounded by vineyards. It is the warmest area in the Czech Republic, where vine is doing very well.

The city was founded in the 12th century. From 1391 until 1945, it belonged to the Lichtenstein family, who transformed the area of the town and its surroundings together with the chateau of Lednice into a unique landscape complex at a European level, now called the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape. It is registered as a UNESCO site. The best way to get to know the whole area is by bike, so do not hesitate and take advantage of one of the many bike rental shops, at least for a day. Bike paths are well marked and you will not regret this!

Do not miss the Wine Salon

The Wine Salon of the Czech Republic, a permanent degustation exposition of the best Moravian and Bohemian wines, is located in the basement of Valtice Chateau. During a tour, you can taste all the samples that are on display, or select from several degustation programmes, managed by a sommelier. Free tours without a degustation are also available, or you can buy a combined ticket that includes a free degustation and a tour of the chateau. Also remember to visit the chateau wine cellars, managed by Vinné sklepy Valtice.

Baroque chateau theatre

The building of the chateau theatre was built in 1790 and it was the last object of the Baroque structural transformation of the Valtice Chateau in the 17th and 18th century into the main representative residence of the Lichtenstein family. Due to the historical development, only the main walls of the theatre have survived. However, the theatre was recently equipped with modern technical infrastructure, a replica of the Baroque machinery, and the original disposition was restored after a thorough archaeological survey. A unique scene was created where it is possible to perform period shows without any restrictions due to the preservation efforts. The historical stage was restored according to incomplete historical sources, rare photographs and also based on the few preserved Baroque theatres in Europe.

Where to go next

No matter which path you take in Valtice, wine will always find you. You can also visit the exposition of historical wine presses, or the Zámecký or Křížový cellars. In addition to that, you can also walk or cycle along the educational wine-growing trail, explore the labyrinth of the Valtice underground or choose one of many wine cellars for a nice evening out. And when you get sick of wine, check out the herb garden in the Valtice garden, or tour the Museum of the Iron Curtain dedicated to the guarding of the Czechoslovak border during the period of the Iron Curtain, which was a fence along the border of Czechoslovakia with Austria and Western Germany. The border zone with a ban on entry ran right around Valtice during communism until 1989.