Hello, friends! Today we are going to the southern part of Moravia, surrounded by the borders of three European countries: the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovakia. It is here that the Lednice castle is located. It is located about 50 km from the city of Brno, stands on the banks of the Taja River and is one of the most romantic palace ensembles in the Czech Republic.
History of the castle
The first mention in the annals of this Gothic fortress dates back to 1222. Then she was called "Aisgurb", which translates from German language like an ice hole. King Wenceslas I brought it as a gift to one of his courtiers, Siegfried the Orphan.
At the beginning of the XIV century, the castle changed its owners and finally passed into the hands of the princes of Liechtenstein, who owned it until the end of the Second World War, when the Lednice-Valdice complex was transferred to the state.
Own modern name The castle was received in the 15th century. "Lednice" is translated from Czech language like an icy river. The water in Tai (also called Diya) is very cold in any season.
The appearance of this medieval Czech fortress has changed many times. The first reconstruction of the XVI century was made in the Renaissance style. But the Swedes during the Thirty Years' War destroyed the walls of the castle.
Only a century later the castle was put in order. According to the spirit of the time, it was given the features of baroque. The last reconstruction of the middle of the 19th century formed the final appearance of the ensemble in the New Gothic style.
At the same time, under the leadership of Jiri Wingelmüller, a project was completed to combine two neighboring castles into the Lednice-Valdice complex.
Attractions of the castle
The decoration of the castle rooms is striking in its luxury. The hunting hall is decorated with stuffed eagles, which have been hunted in these parts for many centuries. Here you can even meet a real white unicorn, whose horn is made from the tusk of a marine mammal - a narwhal.
The African Room houses Liechtenstein family treasures and trophies: rare jewelry, traditional clothes, animal skins and wild animal horns.
The walls of the Chinese Cabinet are decorated with unusual wallpapers. They are woven from rice papyrus and painted. Huge animals and tiny people depicted on them illustrate the power of nature.
The Blue Hall is famous for the portrait of Liechtenstein's wife. Today we would call her a mother-heroine. The artist captured a woman during pregnancy. Just imagine: in 21 years of marriage, she gave birth to 24 children!
On the second floor of the castle there is an art gallery with children's drawings and a museum of dolls, and in the cellars of the castle there is a permanent wine exhibition.
One of the main attractions of the complex is the "Garden of Europe" - alleys, seven kilometers long, which connected the castles of Lednice and Valtice.
Not far from the garden, on a small peninsula, at the bend of the Dyja river, there are the ruins of Yaan's castle. This place is called in another way hunting "Yanograd".
Lednice Castle is surrounded by a magnificent English park, gradually turning into a virgin landscape. On its territory there are unusual buildings from different styles and eras: a palm greenhouse, the temple of Apollo, a Moorish minaret with observation deck and an artificial grotto dating back to the 17th century. All these structures perfectly complement each other and create a unique romantic atmosphere in the park.
On the territory of the palace and park ensemble you can move around on bicycles and horses. And along the river Dyya there is a cute river tram.
Where to stay near the castle
Now many housing options have appeared on the service Airbnb. We have written how to use this service. If you do not find a free room in the hotel, then look for accommodation through this booking site.
We offer good options for hotels near the castle
How to get there
The distance from Prague to Lednice Castle is 262 kilometers. It is more convenient to go to the castle from the city of Brno.
- by car. From Prague, heading southeast, you need to exit onto the E50 highway. After 200 kilometers you will arrive in Brno. Then you need to go south on the D2 highway. After 42 kilometers, you need to turn off onto road number 422. Another 7 kilometers and you are at the gates of the Lednice castle.
- You can't do without transfers by train. The transplant will have to be done in Podivin or Breclav.
- by bus. In any case, you have to get from Prague to the castle with transfers. This will take approximately 5 hours. Option 2:
- In Prague, at the main bus station Florenc, you can take a bus to Breclav, and in this city you can already transfer to another bus to Mikulov. This is the final stop, you do not need to reach it. Exit to Lednice (On the map, this is Lednice Castle, Zamek).
- Also from Prague, from the main bus station Florenc, take the STUDENT AGENCY bus and get to the city of Brno. In Brno, change at the Black Bridge station. Buses No. 13-3, 419 and 437 go from it to the castle.
- Or get from the main bus station Brno to Lednice by buses No. 34,38,42 and 46
Castle Lednice on the map
Automobile route
How to get there by bus and bus schedule
Working hours
The castle is open from April to October from 9:00 to 17:00
April and October the museum is open only on weekends from 09.00 to 16.00
The greenhouse is open all year round except January.
It closes at 15.30, and in the summer months one hour later.
In winter, in April and October, the greenhouse is open only on weekends.
The park is open from 06.00 to 22.00 daily, admission is free.
The day off for the whole complex is Monday.
Excursions
Various events take place in the castle excursion routes. You can choose any of them on the spot:
- Route no. 1: Visiting the Lednice-Valdice complex with a tour of all the sights.
- Route number 2: Visiting the ceremonial halls.
- Route number 3: Visiting the park with separate routes through the temples, grotto, minaret and greenhouses.
There are several more routes, they are described in detail on the website of the castle.
What is the price
The price depends on the route you choose. I'll write the min/max amount:
- regular ticket 150-390 CZK
- reduced ticket for children and pensioners 105-290 kroons
- children under 6 free of charge
- family ticket 405-1060 CZK
Address: Zámek 1, 691 44 Lednice, Czech Republic
Phone: +420 519 340 128
Official site: www.zamek-lednice.com
Until we meet again, friends! Don't forget to prepare for your next trip!
About the castle
In the south of Moravia, 12 km from the village of Mikulov and about 50 km from the city of Brno, on the right bank of the Dyje river, lies the Lednice castle. Surrounded by a wonderful French garden and an English park, the castle is considered one of the romantic sights of the Czech Republic.
The first mention of the place "Eissgrub" (from German "Ice Pit") was found in documents of 1222. Once there was a fortress built to protect the river crossing. Since 1412, it has received its current name "Lednice", which means "ice river" in Czech. A hundred years later, the castle becomes the property of the Liechtenstein family.
In the 16th century, the fortress was rebuilt into a Renaissance castle, which was subsequently reconstructed by the Viennese architect Fischer in the Baroque style. During the neo-Gothic reconstruction of 1846-1858, according to the plan developed by Jiri Wingelmüller, the castle acquired its present appearance. The walls, made in the Baroque style, remained intact, but the facades of the building were redone and supplemented with buildings with various elements - balconies, arches, turrets. The interior of the castle is also designed in the Neo-Gothic style - an ornate staircase in the library, a lime-wood ceiling in the Blue Hall, marble fireplaces and other elements of interior decoration.
In the castle complex "Lednice" there is a museum of agriculture, with a unique mammoth head kept in it. Here you can also admire the decorative ruins of Yanograd. An interesting Moorish mosque with a minaret, designed by the architect Joseph Hardmuth. In its halls, an oriental collection was previously kept, which, unfortunately, has not survived to this day. It is impossible to climb the minaret due to dilapidated construction, however, from its gallery you can admire magnificent views the surrounding neighborhoods.
The whole complex since 1996 is included in cultural heritage UNESCO, and a total of 37 objects are included in the conservation list of the ensemble.
Construction
During its existence, Lednice Castle changed its appearance. In the 16th century, its appearance was a Renaissance building. In the era of the Thirty Years' War, after the attack of the Swedish troops, the castle was seriously damaged. Then its destroyed parts were reconstructed in the Baroque style.
Reconstruction was carried out until the middle of the 18th century. During this period, the castle was rebuilt and supplemented with various buildings and architectural elements. At the same time, some of the old parts of the buildings have retained their original appearance. Fashion for the Gothic style again transformed the appearance of the castle. Today it is considered the most romantic building in the Czech Republic. The neo-gothic style is also pronounced in the adjacent park. The reconstruction touched the alleys - English greenhouses were built between the two buildings of the complex, the Moorish minaret, which served as an observation tower.
The nearby Valtice Castle was also the property of the Liechtensteins. Like Lednice, it also suffered from Swedish guns. However, all the destroyed elements were restored in the Baroque style. Valtice turned into a residence of a noble family.
In the 16th century, both castles were merged into the Lednice-Valtice complex. The Liechtenstein family spent several centuries creating it. However, the final appearance of the complex acquired in the 19th century. It was the heyday of romanticism. She brought to the complex an aqueduct made according to the Roman model, the empirical temple of the Three Graces, the temple of Apollo and the Border Castle.
The Lednice-Valtice complex was surrounded by picturesque countryside. But this was not enough for the living nobles, so the owners built a glass greenhouse, almost 100 meters long. Subtropical and tropical exotic plants, originally from South America, were planted throughout the greenhouse area.
At the end of the 17th century, an artificial cave was created, equipped with artificial stalactites. Its area occupied 90 square meters. Currently, it hosts enchanting shows.
At the beginning of the 19th century, a hunting lodge was built. Its four corner towers form courtyard, and a terrace of one-story buildings provides an opportunity to see the hunting going on.
History of the castle
The ancient Gothic fortress of Lednice originally belonged to the powerful family of the Austrian princes Sirotka. However, they quickly lost all rights to it. For several centuries these places were inhabited by the Germans. Then the fortress passed into the possession of the Marquis Přemysl and he presented it to the Prince of Liechtenstein. Thanks to his entrepreneurial acumen, the prince soon became rich and raised enough money to build a unique castle. The princes of Liechtenstein owned it for more than six centuries - until the end of the Second World War. In 1943, the family removed all valuables from the castle. Much of the interior of the castle was damaged. Luckily, they left behind the antique furniture, the library's unique staircase carved from solid wood. Remained on the walls and the original Chinese wallpaper.
In subsequent years, the castle complex belonged to the state. In 1996, he was awarded the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The complex is now national property. On the ground floor of the castle are residential princely premises, which are guided tours. The second floor is given over to a children's art gallery.
Carl von Liechtenstein
The Liechtenstein family belongs to the oldest Austrian noble family. The first representative of this surname, Hugo von Liechtenstein, has been mentioned in historical papers since 1136. The eldest son of Hartmann II von Liechtenstein and Anna Maria von Ortenburg, Karl, was brought up in the Protestant faith. In 1559, he was baptized into Catholicism, and was accepted into the service of Emperor Rudolf II. Soon he was appointed to the post of chief quartermaster. In this position, Karl von Liechtenstein remained until 1607. A year later, the prince became emperor.
Tourist Information
Opening hours:
April, October
Sat - Sun from 9:00 to 16:00
Lunch break
From 12:00 to 13:00
May-August
Tue - Sun from 9:00 to 16:00
Lunch break
From 12:00 to 13:00
September
Tue - Sun from 9:00 to 16:00
Lunch break
From 12:00 to 13:00
Additional Information
Nilfisk pressure washer.The grotto works to receive visitors according to the schedule of the castle complex.
Lednice Castle is located on the Austrian border, on the banks of the Dyja River. Once upon a time, a Gothic fortress stood on this place, a gift from King Přemysl.
History of the castle
The descendants of a noble family owned the estate for several centuries, almost until the end of World War II, but after that they were forced to cede the right to own the castle to the state. Nowadays, Lednice is the property and heritage of the Czech Republic.
Over the years, the castle has changed its architectural appearance more than once.
Attractions
Lednice Castle is part of the Lednice-Valdice complex, which is a large area and is considered the largest landscape ensemble in the world, because the park belonging to the castle has been turned into a beautiful garden by the owners for centuries.
The complex harmoniously wraps around the river, and in the summer you can admire the beauties while taking a walk on the sea tram.
If we talk about sights, then it is worth noting the magnificent Palm Greenhouse, which keeps a collection of tropical plants, amazing for the climate of these places.
It became possible to create such a miracle thanks to carefully selected air temperature and soil brought from the native land of tropical plants.
Excursions to the first and second castles
- Overview, artificially created grotto and Jaanov Castle - accompanied by a guide
- Visiting the art gallery and exhibition, the palm greenhouse, the minaret and the temple of Apollo - without a guide.
Opening hours
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday-Sunday: 9-16
The entrance to the palm greenhouse is open from April to the end of October, at the opening time of the castle, and in the remaining months on weekends.
In this article, we will continue our acquaintance with the castles of the Czech Republic and visit picturesque place in the south of the Czech Republic Lednice.
Lednice- this is one of the most beautiful castles in the Czech Republic, located 250 km southeast of Prague near the city Brno, on the border with Austria. Lednice is located in the village of the same name on the right bank of the Taya River, about 12 km east of the town of Mikulov.
The elegant Lednice Castle with a large garden is one of the most beautiful castle complexes not only in Czech Republic, but throughout Europe and is called. Today's complex with an area of almost 300 km 2 resembles an English landscape park.
Today the castle is one of the most important Romantic buildings in the whole of the Czech Republic. Since December 1996, the castle has been included in. For almost 700 years, the castle belonged to a powerful family Liechtenstein. During this time, the Liechtensteins turned their possessions into a single palace and park ensemble, in which the architecture of baroque and neo-Renaissance castles is skillfully combined with small buildings in the spirit of romanticism against the backdrop of a landscaped English park.
The current appearance of the castle acquired after a large-scale reconstruction in the 19th century in a style that imitates neo-Gothic. The castle was originally built in the Renaissance style. In the 17th century, it was rebuilt and acquired features characteristic of the Baroque and Neo-Gothic styles.
There are two interesting castles near Lednice that are worth a visit. Mikulov Castle and Valtice.
Castle Valtice
Lednice Valtice Castle is connected by a 7 km linden alley, together they are included in the list world heritage and are called. If you are not limited in time, then you can walk from one castle to another in these romantic places.
Valtice is a Baroque castle that also belonged to the Liechtenstein family. The family spent almost 300 years building this magnificent castle. Around the palace there is an English park with a temple of Diana, which looks like a Roman arch. In the park you can see artificial ruins, various sculptures, gazebos, a fountain and many interesting flowers and trees.
Works in the dungeons of the castle Wine Salon who opened National Wine Center. Here you can taste the best varieties of the famous Moravian wines and learn the history of winemaking. The opening hours of the tasting exposition can be found on the official website Vinarskecentrum.cz. In general, there are many wine cellars in the city where wine tastings take place, after which all wines can be bought as a Czech souvenir. By the way, these wine cellars are interconnected, forming a labyrinth.
In the castle you will see an art gallery, a palace chapel, a hall of mirrors, superbly done decorations of the halls, such as ceiling frescoes, gilded stucco, murals, a spiral staircase, a linden cassette ceiling and much more.
How to get to the castles?
On public transport it is very tiring and long to go to the castle of Lednice or Valtice, and you also need to make many transfers. For an independent visit to the castle, it is better to rent a car, we describe how to do it in the most profitable way in the article: ““. If you rent a car, you can easily reach the castle in 3 hours. The castle will be convenient to visit if you are traveling from Prague to or from.
Summing up, I can say that this is another beautiful castle with a magnificent park, which is worth a visit if you have a couple of free days in the Czech Republic.
Far, far away in Alps, between Austria And Switzerland, a picturesque principality is located, the size of which causes a condescending smile from any citizen of our vast country. However, having learned about the level of per capita income of this dwarf state, the condescending smile of a citizen of our country in the blink of an eye will be replaced by a bilious, envious grimace.
Is called principality Liechtenstein. Ruled by a dynasty of princes Liechtenstein, originating from XII century. In distant times Liechtenstein owned large territories throughout Europe on which they liked to build palaces and castles. We will talk about two such palaces today.
Lednice- a small village that was presented to the princes Liechtenstein V XIII century, when they were not yet princes, but were barons, and they were not supposed to have such excesses. As we can see, the barons also lived well, enjoying such benefits as the possession of entire villages.
WITH XII century there was a Gothic fortress there, which was small and uncomfortable. Therefore, the new princes decided to rebuild it into a more luxurious and modern palace. As fashion changes to different architectural styles, and the appearance of the palace changed. The palace acquired its modern look already in XIX century - Neo-Gothic style Tudor.
As usual, near the palace there is a large green Park with a pond. A little to the north, where the pond ends, there is a minaret, 60 meters, which is the only one in Czech Republic.
There is a legend that they wanted to build a church on that place, but the developed spider of the bureaucracy issued a ban on the allocation of additional land with its tentacles. In order to take revenge and shame the gentlemen of the bureaucrats, an Islamic minaret was built in a non-Islamic country. I don't know how it could harm anyone, but such a legend exists.
If you leave the palace Lednice and go on foot to the south, you can find an alley running away into the distance. In just some 7 km we will come to another, no less interesting village. Although various sources will correct me here. The village actually turned out to be a city. How could I?! Insulted as many as 3.5 thousand inhabitants.
Valtice- a city that was donated to the same princes, and where they built their residence. The palace was rebuilt many times, and the architects settled on the Baroque style. Was the main residence of the family Liechtenstein, while for Lednice the status of a summer residence was fixed. Judging by the area of the adjacent parks, this is exactly the alignment I would have assumed if I had not subtracted it before.
Castle Valtice famous for its wine cellars. A network of labyrinths connects a dozen cellars, where tours of the dungeons with tastings of drinks are held. Who is sad and depressed - lovely way cheer up and have fun.
Liechtenstein received their titles by ardently supporting the dynasty Habsburg who were one of the most influential dynasties in Europe. But nothing lasts forever under the moon. Habsburgs weakened and ended. The last of the branch of dynasties was the archduke Franz Ferdinand. All more or less educated people know that his murder in Sarajevo V 1914 year served as a formal reason for the start First World War. Oh these Habsburgs.
After the end of the war in 1918 broke up Austro-Hungarian Empire and a number of new states were formed. Among which - Czechoslovakia. On the territory of this and were Valtice And Lednice. Accordingly, all princes lost their privileges and lands. And then Second World War these palaces were completely expropriated by the state.
Now, of course, there are museum complexes available for visiting. They are located in South Moravia, near the city Brno, almost on the border with Austria. IN 1996 cultural complex Lednice-Valtice included in the World Heritage List UNESCO.
