As Spring arrives and the weather warms up, quite rapidly, the number of Czechs abandoning the city at weekends actually seems to increase and the question on many foreigners’ lips is: where do they go? Photo: Dívčí Hrad ruins // Credit: Milos Taborsky.
Brno, Apr 12 (BD) – Simply, many have “cottages” and it’s time to start working in the garden and those who don’t get on their bikes, in their cars, jump on public transport and go to visit hrady (castles), zámky (chateauxs), gardens, caves and other areas of natural beauty as well as many wine festivals.
This series of articles will take a brief look at some of the many things which can entice anyone to leave their house and take a day or weekend trip.
In Květen (May) the květiny (flowers) flower and bloom and, although the reality depends on the weather, April is usually a wonderful time to go and take a wander and have a look at these short-lived Spring flowers in the wild or to see some cultivated gardens.
In Brno
If you’re feeling a bit lazy but want to get out there in Brno take a gentle stroll to Kamenný Vrch, Koniklecova, highest point 385m, to overlook the city, wander through 15 hectares of countryside and admire the koniklec (pasqueflowers). Currently, the area is being considered for urban development and, while this is currently only a study and will not come to fruition, if ever, for around 20 years, you should experience it while the weather is pleasant.
Alternatively jump on the bus out to Stránská skála, Slatina, where, not only can you see some lovely flowers but also have a look at a Cold War bunker which was reconstructed inside part of an old Nazi factory which you can also visit.
Quick word of advice: if you fancy a lovely bouquet for home then buy it from a florist – picking wildflowers in protected areas carries a heavy fine!
Koniklec. Photo credit: Milos Taborsky
Broaden your horizons a little
Just under 50km from Brno are the ruins of Dívčí Hrad in the Pálava area with a couple of nice trails (one more gentle, the other quite a bit steeper) and a trail leading to a protected nature reserve.
Unless you live nearby it is easier to access this area by car although if you take a bus to the Pálava region there are plenty of areas to wander around and more than enough wine cellars to keep tired walkers happy.
Take a look over Pálava from the ruins of Dívčí Hrad. Photo credit: Milos Taborsky
Lednice and Valtice
Easily accessible from Brno (take a train from the main station to Breclav and change to a bus or smaller train-it takes about one hour in total.) is a very popular tourist area as the paths between the two are flat, well maintained and have lovely views. Ideal for walking or cycling between them both towns have beautiful chateauxs (you can pay for a tour or just gaze at the impressive exterior) and Lednice is particularly well-known for its’ greenhouses and cultivated gardens as well as a minaret. There is a huge wine festival which involves both chateaux, but more on that in a future article.
This is a very limited guide to getting out of doors and enjoying the nice weather and beautiful parts of Moravia as there really are so many opportunities to be grabbed and I’m talking about the places I have experienced personally so can honestly recommend. We welcome comments, advice and suggestions from our readers which will help us all to make the most of this great region.
Next up in this series: Hrady and Zámky to be followed by wine festivals and cities.
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