Moravské vinařské stezky Places at former Iron

Transcription

GreenwaysMoravské
through European
history stezky
and nature
vinařské
Z Mělníka
k Prameni
Labe
Places at
former
Iron
Curtain
Iron www.labska-stezka.cz
Curtain Trail – European| www.greenways.cz
Greenbelt – EuroVelo 13
eurovelo.cz I greenways.cz
EUROVELO ROUTES IN
THE CZECH REPUBLIC ARE
COORDINATED
MO RAV S K BY
É VTHE
I N A ŘS K É
PARTNERSHIP
S T E Z KFOUNDATION
Y P RO V O Z U JE
EuroVelo 13 /
The Iron Curtain
Trail in South
Moravia and Lower
Austria
Places at former Iron Curtain
1
n Remnants of
the military road,
guard towers, and
tank traps in South
Moravia.
Introduction
With the end of World War II an Iron Curtain
began to come down across Europe. To build
its complete length of 7,000 km took a number
of years, and eventually divided Europe in two.
For over forty years it was an impermeable
barrier between the countries of the socialist
East bloc led by the Soviet Union, and the
democratic West led by the United States.
This heavily-guarded line claimed thousands
of human lives, and became the symbol of a
divided Europe and a divided world. The Cold
War ended in the late 1980s and early 90s when
the east bloc was quickly swept by a wave of
democratic revolutions, when the communist
regimes of the various countries fell like dominos. After more than two decades of the democratization process we can now say that the
threat embodied by the Iron Curtain is a thing
of the past. Crossing the international borders
between the former East and West gets easier
every year. The barbed-wire fences, walls,
gates, guard towers, and the trigger-ready border guards have all disappeared.
The legacy of the Iron Curtain should never be
forgotten; on the contrary, it should always be
remembered how high a price for freedom was
paid by the inhabitants of the former east bloc.
This brochure will tell you about several European projects built around the history of the
“Without memory there is no identity.”
Václav Havel
Iron Curtain and the natural beauties within
its corridor from the standpoint of low-impact
tourism in the region of South Moravia, and its
reach across the border into Lower Austria.
Partnership Foundation, April 2012
Contents
The Iron Curtain Trail .......................…… str. 2
The Iron Curtain Trail focuses on the history
of this barrier, the way it worked, and what it
looked like.
The European Green Belt ……............…… str. 13
The European Green Belt focuses on the natural wealth that lies along the Iron Curtain corridor and the great potential of the belt for foot
tourism.
EuroVelo 13 …...................................…… str. 27
EuroVelo 13 is devoted to the European longdistance bicycle route of the same name that
leads through the Iron Curtain corridor and
crosses back and forth between South Moravia
and Lower Austria.
2
Greenways through European history and nature
3
Iron Curtain Trail
The first bricks in the wall
The term Iron Curtain was coined by British Prime
Minister Winston Churchill in 1946, in reference to
the ideological division of Europe after the Second
World War. At first it was just a political concept, but
over time it became a physical, military-guarded
barrier that the countries of the eastern bloc
erected along their western borders. Its backbone
was formed by barriers in the form of barbed-wire
fences or walls, but it actually included the adjacent
strip along the border, in some places several
kilometers wide, which was off-limits. This line
officially served to prevent the penetration by enemy
“infiltrators” from the “imperialist” west to the east
(for example intelligence agents), who might subvert
the established order of the so-called people’s
democratic states. For the socialist countries the Iron
Curtain became a deadly instrument of their power,
preventing citizens from escaping to the democratic
western countries. The legal right to travel abroad
was completely unattainable for most citizens, not
only to the west of the Iron Curtain, but within the
east bloc as well. Armed border guards and the
military were assigned to prevent illegal crossing of
the border, and thousands of inhabitants of the east
bloc died at their hands.
From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic,
an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.
Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient
states of Central and Eastern Europe.
Winston Churchill, 1946
The governments of the eastern bloc were very
much aware of the importance of the Iron Curtain
for the long-term stability of the totalitarian
regime. For the entire duration of the Cold War
they were constantly engaged in perfecting it. For
the regime, uncontrolled emigration of its citizens
meant not only the loss of labor force including its
intellectual elites, but also serious cracks in the
ideological facade. The most important destination
or transfer point in this regard was West Berlin, an
island of freedom within the totalitarian bloc, which
East Germans could relatively easily get to. Between
1949 and 1961 almost 3 million East German
citizens fled to the West this way. Thus officials of
the GDR finally undertook radical measures: on
August 13, 1961 they in effect surrounded West
Berlin with their armed forces, cut links between it
and the GDR, and built a concrete wall 165 km long
around its entire perimeter, which they guarded day
and night by their armed forces.
n Barbed wire has
become a symbol of
the Iron Curtain
n Remnants of the military road, guard towers, and tank traps in South Moravia.
The Iron Curtain comes down
On the borders of Czechoslovakia the situation
became tense after the events of February 1948,
when the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia came
to power. Two days earlier, on 23 February 1948,
the already-communist-controlled Ministry of the
Interior revoked all passports, and began requiring
exit papers for all those travelling abroad. In
October of that year a law was adopted that defined
unauthorized crossing of the country’s borders
as a criminal act. One year later the communist
dictatorship took away its citizens’ right to acquire
travel documents. Even so, by 1951 according
to official numbers nearly 12,000 people had
emigrated from Czechoslovakia (the true numbers
were probably much higher). Many people of this
post-1948 wave of emigration left their homeland
under threat of political persecution, imprisonment,
expulsion from school, or loss of employment, loss
of property during the process of nationalization,
etc. Most of them chose to escape into Bavaria via
forested Šumava Mountains, which until 1951 was
weakly guarded. Even so, knowledge of the local
terrain – and a healthy dose of luck – was necessary
to get across. This was provided by the smugglers,
who undertook the activity either from conviction,
or for money. Another way to get to the West was
over the border with Austria. At first this choice was
not ideal, because until 1955 the part of Austria
adjacent to Czechoslovakia was part of the Soviet
zone of occupation. Refugees here risked detention
by the Soviets and return to Czechoslovakia.
A mass exodus of Czechoslovak citizens was to
be prevented by hermetically sealing a 750 km
stretch of the country’s border with Germany and
Austria. The decision was taken in 1951 to create a
set of physical barriers, and establish a new border
guard corps built on the Soviet model. Thus a real
Iron Curtain began to take form. It was manned by
several brigades of border guard soldiers. Some
16,000 guards were deployed in all, and furnished
with all the powers of the military and security
forces. Most were recruited from the ranks of
politically reliable citizens – draftees and career
soldiers. Over the course of time the corps would
take on graduates from the Border Guard Military
Academy in Prague, founded for this purpose in
1951. Officials at the highest levels studied at Soviet
schools and underwent training by the Soviet secret
service, the KGB.
2
3
Iron Curtain Trail
The first bricks in the wall
The term Iron Curtain was coined by British Prime
Minister Winston Churchill in 1946, in reference to
the ideological division of Europe after the Second
World War. At first it was just a political concept, but
over time it became a physical, military-guarded
barrier that the countries of the eastern bloc
erected along their western borders. Its backbone
was formed by barriers in the form of barbed-wire
fences or walls, but it actually included the adjacent
strip along the border, in some places several
kilometers wide, which was off-limits. This line
officially served to prevent the penetration by enemy
“infiltrators” from the “imperialist” west to the east
(for example intelligence agents), who might subvert
the established order of the so-called people’s
democratic states. For the socialist countries the Iron
Curtain became a deadly instrument of their power,
preventing citizens from escaping to the democratic
western countries. The legal right to travel abroad
was completely unattainable for most citizens, not
only to the west of the Iron Curtain, but within the
east bloc as well. Armed border guards and the
military were assigned to prevent illegal crossing of
the border, and thousands of inhabitants of the east
bloc died at their hands.
From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic,
an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.
Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient
states of Central and Eastern Europe.
Winston Churchill, 1946
The governments of the eastern bloc were very
much aware of the importance of the Iron Curtain
for the long-term stability of the totalitarian
regime. For the entire duration of the Cold War
they were constantly engaged in perfecting it. For
the regime, uncontrolled emigration of its citizens
meant not only the loss of labor force including its
intellectual elites, but also serious cracks in the
ideological facade. The most important destination
or transfer point in this regard was West Berlin, an
island of freedom within the totalitarian bloc, which
East Germans could relatively easily get to. Between
1949 and 1961 almost 3 million East German
citizens fled to the West this way. Thus officials of
the GDR finally undertook radical measures: on
August 13, 1961 they in effect surrounded West
Berlin with their armed forces, cut links between it
and the GDR, and built a concrete wall 165 km long
around its entire perimeter, which they guarded day
and night by their armed forces.
n Barbed wire has
become a symbol of
the Iron Curtain
n Remnants of the military road, guard towers, and tank traps in South Moravia.
The Iron Curtain comes down
On the borders of Czechoslovakia the situation
became tense after the events of February 1948,
when the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia came
to power. Two days earlier, on 23 February 1948,
the already-communist-controlled Ministry of the
Interior revoked all passports, and began requiring
exit papers for all those travelling abroad. In
October of that year a law was adopted that defined
unauthorized crossing of the country’s borders
as a criminal act. One year later the communist
dictatorship took away its citizens’ right to acquire
travel documents. Even so, by 1951 according
to official numbers nearly 12,000 people had
emigrated from Czechoslovakia (the true numbers
were probably much higher). Many people of this
post-1948 wave of emigration left their homeland
under threat of political persecution, imprisonment,
expulsion from school, or loss of employment, loss
of property during the process of nationalization,
etc. Most of them chose to escape into Bavaria via
forested Šumava Mountains, which until 1951 was
weakly guarded. Even so, knowledge of the local
terrain – and a healthy dose of luck – was necessary
to get across. This was provided by the smugglers,
who undertook the activity either from conviction,
or for money. Another way to get to the West was
over the border with Austria. At first this choice was
not ideal, because until 1955 the part of Austria
adjacent to Czechoslovakia was part of the Soviet
zone of occupation. Refugees here risked detention
by the Soviets and return to Czechoslovakia.
A mass exodus of Czechoslovak citizens was to
be prevented by hermetically sealing a 750 km
stretch of the country’s border with Germany and
Austria. The decision was taken in 1951 to create a
set of physical barriers, and establish a new border
guard corps built on the Soviet model. Thus a real
Iron Curtain began to take form. It was manned by
several brigades of border guard soldiers. Some
16,000 guards were deployed in all, and furnished
with all the powers of the military and security
forces. Most were recruited from the ranks of
politically reliable citizens – draftees and career
soldiers. Over the course of time the corps would
take on graduates from the Border Guard Military
Academy in Prague, founded for this purpose in
1951. Officials at the highest levels studied at Soviet
schools and underwent training by the Soviet secret
service, the KGB.
4
could live and work. However, people without
permanent residence in the zone needed a special
pass to enter. This would be granted for visits
by relatives, for example, or travelling to work.
Among the population of the zone and even further
into the interior lived so-called assistant border
guards who would report suspicious persons whose
behavior indicated an intention to over the line.
The assistants were thus part of the border guard
intelligence service, which had its informers among
people on the other side of the border as well.
The selection of ideal candidates, quality training
and ideological drill, was designed to produce
dedicated border guards, determined to defend the
country’s borders whatever the price. In the vast
majority of cases, of course, the main task was to
prevent illegal crossing of the border from the East
to the West. To do this border guards were authorized
to use deadly force; though officially only after
verbal warnings went unheeded. Unofficially, the
border guards often shot first and gave the warning
afterward. Likewise the border guards often fired at
fleeing people who were already into the territory
of the neighboring country.
Barbed wire and high voltage
Along the border with Germany and Austria, a
forbidden zone up to 2 km wide was made almost
completely off limits to the civilian population,
who could enter the zone only with a special pass.
Especially in the Šumava Mountains and other hilly
and remote areas, the population was removed
and dozens of villages demolished. Between the
forbidden zone and the interior of the country there
was a 6- to 10-km-wide border zone where civilians
The backbone and most import part of the forbidden
zone were the military engineering barriers
consisting of a system of up to three barbed wire
fences up to 2 meters high. These were installed in
the area from a few hundred meters to 2 km before
the border. All trees and bushes within several dozen
meters were cleared, which in forested areas created
a great scar that is still easy to make out today.
Over time these barriers expanded further into the
interior, so that border guards would have more
time to stop people before getting to the border.
Fences were built in the center of the strip with 3
to 6 thousand volts of electricity running through
them, which between 1952 and 1963 served as a
frightening deterrent to anyone considering running
away to the West. On the border with Bavaria the
situation was even worse. In 1952-1965 the border
there was actually mined. Naturally, these measures
were also deadly to the border guards themselves.
Altogether 27 of them died from electrocution, 18
from land mine explosions, and many others were
seriously injured. Partly because of this, but mostly
because of strong international protests (some 150
escapees were killed by these means), the measures
were later eased. The minefields were removed
and the high-tension wires were replaced by a lowtension signal wall that was not fatal, but served
as a warning system to nearby border guards that
someone was trying to get over.
Within a few minutes of an alarm, border guards
from the barracks or the closest monitoring station
could get to the place where the barrier had been
violated. They moved to the spot along the socalled signal road, a service drive (in later years
mostly surfaced with asphalt or concrete panels)
which followed along the fences. The precise point
of crossing the fence was visible in the 20 m wide
strip of plowed earth along the fence, which was
sprayed with herbicide to remove any vegetation,
making the footprints of those fleeing clearly
visible. Along the entire length of the fence, wooden
and later metal guard towers sprung up that made
it easy to monitor each segment. At night the border
zone could be lit up by powerful spotlights and tripwire illumination flares.
Border guards were also assisted by service dogs,
whose keen sense of smell helped them quickly
track down and detain escapees. The independent
attack dogs served as a kind of substitute for
electric fences. In some of the more difficult-toaccess segments, where the fence was very near
the actual border, they were placed in pens which
automatically opened when the signal wall was
tripped. The dogs served as advance guard until
the border patrols could reach the site. However,
the use of independent dogs proved to be just as
inhumane as the electrified fences, as seen in the
case of nineteen-year-old East German Hartmut
Tautz. In the summer of 1986 he tried to get across
the Iron Curtain near Bratislava, when he was
stopped by independent attack dogs just 20 m short
of the border. He died of severe wounds in hospital
some hours later.
There were far fewer official border crossings for
automobile traffic between Czechoslovakia and
5
West Germany and Austria than there are today.
And they were closely guarded – for example, with
heavy gates that could not be broken by a moving
vehicle. Historically less-important roads leading
to the west were closed permanently, for example
by digging up the road. On the watercourses that
crossed the state border, underwater grates and
observation platforms were set up to prevent
escape to the West under water. Larger rivers like
the Danube were monitored by motorboat patrols.
Trains crossing the border were subject to thorough
searches, even freight trains where people could
hide in coal wagons, for example.
Victims of the Iron Curtain
Despite all the pitfalls and security measures, there
were people who were determined to risk their
lives, or at best long prison sentences, to get over
the border. Their yearning for freedom, democracy,
and a chance to pursue one’s goals was so strong
(and their chances of legally travelling to the West
so negligible) that their conscience gave them no
other choice.
We will probably never know the exact number of
those who from 1951 to 1989 made it across the Iron
Curtain from our country. The constant perfecting
n In the past only the border guards could enjoy this beautiful view from behind the Iron Curtain into
Austria over the River Dyje (picture taken from the bridge to Hardegg).
4
could live and work. However, people without
permanent residence in the zone needed a special
pass to enter. This would be granted for visits
by relatives, for example, or travelling to work.
Among the population of the zone and even further
into the interior lived so-called assistant border
guards who would report suspicious persons whose
behavior indicated an intention to over the line.
The assistants were thus part of the border guard
intelligence service, which had its informers among
people on the other side of the border as well.
The selection of ideal candidates, quality training
and ideological drill, was designed to produce
dedicated border guards, determined to defend the
country’s borders whatever the price. In the vast
majority of cases, of course, the main task was to
prevent illegal crossing of the border from the East
to the West. To do this border guards were authorized
to use deadly force; though officially only after
verbal warnings went unheeded. Unofficially, the
border guards often shot first and gave the warning
afterward. Likewise the border guards often fired at
fleeing people who were already into the territory
of the neighboring country.
Barbed wire and high voltage
Along the border with Germany and Austria, a
forbidden zone up to 2 km wide was made almost
completely off limits to the civilian population,
who could enter the zone only with a special pass.
Especially in the Šumava Mountains and other hilly
and remote areas, the population was removed
and dozens of villages demolished. Between the
forbidden zone and the interior of the country there
was a 6- to 10-km-wide border zone where civilians
The backbone and most import part of the forbidden
zone were the military engineering barriers
consisting of a system of up to three barbed wire
fences up to 2 meters high. These were installed in
the area from a few hundred meters to 2 km before
the border. All trees and bushes within several dozen
meters were cleared, which in forested areas created
a great scar that is still easy to make out today.
Over time these barriers expanded further into the
interior, so that border guards would have more
time to stop people before getting to the border.
Fences were built in the center of the strip with 3
to 6 thousand volts of electricity running through
them, which between 1952 and 1963 served as a
frightening deterrent to anyone considering running
away to the West. On the border with Bavaria the
situation was even worse. In 1952-1965 the border
there was actually mined. Naturally, these measures
were also deadly to the border guards themselves.
Altogether 27 of them died from electrocution, 18
from land mine explosions, and many others were
seriously injured. Partly because of this, but mostly
because of strong international protests (some 150
escapees were killed by these means), the measures
were later eased. The minefields were removed
and the high-tension wires were replaced by a lowtension signal wall that was not fatal, but served
as a warning system to nearby border guards that
someone was trying to get over.
Within a few minutes of an alarm, border guards
from the barracks or the closest monitoring station
could get to the place where the barrier had been
violated. They moved to the spot along the socalled signal road, a service drive (in later years
mostly surfaced with asphalt or concrete panels)
which followed along the fences. The precise point
of crossing the fence was visible in the 20 m wide
strip of plowed earth along the fence, which was
sprayed with herbicide to remove any vegetation,
making the footprints of those fleeing clearly
visible. Along the entire length of the fence, wooden
and later metal guard towers sprung up that made
it easy to monitor each segment. At night the border
zone could be lit up by powerful spotlights and tripwire illumination flares.
Border guards were also assisted by service dogs,
whose keen sense of smell helped them quickly
track down and detain escapees. The independent
attack dogs served as a kind of substitute for
electric fences. In some of the more difficult-toaccess segments, where the fence was very near
the actual border, they were placed in pens which
automatically opened when the signal wall was
tripped. The dogs served as advance guard until
the border patrols could reach the site. However,
the use of independent dogs proved to be just as
inhumane as the electrified fences, as seen in the
case of nineteen-year-old East German Hartmut
Tautz. In the summer of 1986 he tried to get across
the Iron Curtain near Bratislava, when he was
stopped by independent attack dogs just 20 m short
of the border. He died of severe wounds in hospital
some hours later.
There were far fewer official border crossings for
automobile traffic between Czechoslovakia and
5
West Germany and Austria than there are today.
And they were closely guarded – for example, with
heavy gates that could not be broken by a moving
vehicle. Historically less-important roads leading
to the west were closed permanently, for example
by digging up the road. On the watercourses that
crossed the state border, underwater grates and
observation platforms were set up to prevent
escape to the West under water. Larger rivers like
the Danube were monitored by motorboat patrols.
Trains crossing the border were subject to thorough
searches, even freight trains where people could
hide in coal wagons, for example.
Victims of the Iron Curtain
Despite all the pitfalls and security measures, there
were people who were determined to risk their
lives, or at best long prison sentences, to get over
the border. Their yearning for freedom, democracy,
and a chance to pursue one’s goals was so strong
(and their chances of legally travelling to the West
so negligible) that their conscience gave them no
other choice.
We will probably never know the exact number of
those who from 1951 to 1989 made it across the Iron
Curtain from our country. The constant perfecting
n In the past only the border guards could enjoy this beautiful view from behind the Iron Curtain into
Austria over the River Dyje (picture taken from the bridge to Hardegg).
6
of 1968. Thousands of people that summer decided
not to come back from vacation in the Western
countries or Yugoslavia. Tens of thousands of others
left the CSSR soon after August 1968 while it was still
possible. From the spring of 1968 until October 8,
1969 the borders with the FRG and Austria remained
relatively open, until the new government, now led
by the pro-Soviet Husák, finally was able to put an
end to the changes introduced by the pro-reform
Dubček government. The year and a half when it was
possible to travel freely was totally unique in the
history of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia.
Never before or after was it so easy to get out of
socialist Czechoslovakia.
By the late 1970s and 1980s, after the deepest part
of the so-called normalization, some possibilities
opened up for travel to the West or at least to the
socialist (but independent of the Soviet Union)
Yugoslavia. It was still very difficult, but the
Czechoslovak “jail” opened up a few cracks, and
from 1979 on some 5,000 people a year successfully
emigrated.
of the barrier made it harder and harder to do, and
so probably only a few dozen people a year were
able to make it. We have a better idea of the sad
number of victims: some 350 civilians (of whom
200 were shot) and 648 border guards, of which
208 committed suicide and 67 were shot by their
colleagues (deliberately while trying to escape over
the border; or accidently).
Getting over
From 1948 to 1989 several hundred thousand
people emigrated from Czechoslovakia to the West.
Official numbers speak of 200 thousand; the highest
estimates are a half million. We have already talked
about the period before the Iron Curtain went up
(1948-1951). But what came afterward?
The largest wave of emigrants (at least 65 thousand)
took advantage of the temporary hesitation of the
regime and left the country in 1968–1969 after the
invasion of Czechoslovakia by the armies of the
Warsaw Pact on August 21, 1968. It put a sudden end
to the democratization, liberal reforms, and political
relaxation (a.k.a. “socialism with a human face”)
begun by Dubček’s government: the Prague Spring
Some people, for example, failed to return from
work-related abroad where they were sent by their
employer. This decision was not easy, however,
as it meant separation from family, who could
be persecuted by the regime. Especially in the
1980s it was easy for most people, even for whole
families, to get permission to travel to Yugoslavia,
a “fraternal socialist country”, and the promised
land for summer holidays. This was a good chance
for people who wanted to emigrate to the West.
There was no Iron Curtain between Yugoslavia and
neighboring Italy and Austria, so one could get to
the west over an unguarded border (usually in the
mountains), or often even by the regular border
crossing, if the border guard was sufficiently
benevolent. And last but not least there were those
who set out to visit Cuba with a layover in some
foreign city, perhaps Montreal, where one had to
get off the plane while it was being refueled. In the
airport terminal they would ask for asylum.
Most emigrants did not have a pre-arranged place
in a foreign country; they left their homeland with
empty hands, and often had to sit out months in
a refugee camp. Here they had to wait for their
documents to be issued that would allow them
to gain asylum. The risk, the uncertainty, and the
awareness that they would have to start again at the
bottom, was understood as the price of the freedom
for which they longed.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s there were those
whose emigration was forced, who found their
departure for the west suddenly hastened by
the authorities. Forced exile meant permanent
deportation from Czechoslovakia; most of the ones
exiled in this way were signatures of Charter 77 (a
document and a civic initiative that criticized the
Czechoslovak communist regime for suppressing
the human and civil rights that the CSSR had
agreed to in 1975 under international agreement).
The government found these people extremely
inconvenient, even dangerous. Under operation
Asanace (Sanitation), the goal of which was to
isolate Charter 77’s main organizers, the State
Security (StB) subjected a number of dissidents
to harassment, blackmail, and threats of
imprisonment to force them to leave the country.
What did one have to do during the era of so-called
“real socialism” in Czechoslovakia to be allowed to
legally leave the country?
From today’s perspective the conditions attached
to leaving the country might seem like a bad joke.
It was not enough to have a valid passport or visa
(necessary for all the West European countries).
Much more was needed, including a great deal of
patience and a strong stomach, because the entire
n Remnants of the
Iron Curtain near
Čížov
7
incredibly long bureaucratic process was extremely
degrading. Around the end of the 1970s it became
easier to travel to the West or Yugoslavia, but there
were still an inordinate number of barriers. One’s
chances of getting permission decreased if a person
was “politically unreliable”, or the more members
of a family wished to travel at once.
After requesting a certificate of a clean criminal
record, which usually took several weeks to
obtain, it was necessary to get a permit to leave
the country. It clearly stated the number of days a
person was allowed to spend abroad, and a precise
list of the countries he could visit. After 1970 it was
possible to get a permanent exit visa to the East
European countries, so it was not necessary to go
through the complicated process every time. It was
much more difficult to get permission to travel to
Western Europe. This process could take months,
but success was not guaranteed. It was granted
only on the recommendation of a whole series
of various person and organs, for example one’s
employer or school, the ROH (Revolutionary Labor
Movement), military officials, municipal officials,
the Communist Party’s street committees, and so
on. Often an interview with the cadre department at
one’s workplace was required. Your fate was in the
hands of people you didn’t know.
The granting of permission to leave was not the end
of the ordeal. Travelling to the democratic foreign
6
of 1968. Thousands of people that summer decided
not to come back from vacation in the Western
countries or Yugoslavia. Tens of thousands of others
left the CSSR soon after August 1968 while it was still
possible. From the spring of 1968 until October 8,
1969 the borders with the FRG and Austria remained
relatively open, until the new government, now led
by the pro-Soviet Husák, finally was able to put an
end to the changes introduced by the pro-reform
Dubček government. The year and a half when it was
possible to travel freely was totally unique in the
history of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia.
Never before or after was it so easy to get out of
socialist Czechoslovakia.
By the late 1970s and 1980s, after the deepest part
of the so-called normalization, some possibilities
opened up for travel to the West or at least to the
socialist (but independent of the Soviet Union)
Yugoslavia. It was still very difficult, but the
Czechoslovak “jail” opened up a few cracks, and
from 1979 on some 5,000 people a year successfully
emigrated.
of the barrier made it harder and harder to do, and
so probably only a few dozen people a year were
able to make it. We have a better idea of the sad
number of victims: some 350 civilians (of whom
200 were shot) and 648 border guards, of which
208 committed suicide and 67 were shot by their
colleagues (deliberately while trying to escape over
the border; or accidently).
Getting over
From 1948 to 1989 several hundred thousand
people emigrated from Czechoslovakia to the West.
Official numbers speak of 200 thousand; the highest
estimates are a half million. We have already talked
about the period before the Iron Curtain went up
(1948-1951). But what came afterward?
The largest wave of emigrants (at least 65 thousand)
took advantage of the temporary hesitation of the
regime and left the country in 1968–1969 after the
invasion of Czechoslovakia by the armies of the
Warsaw Pact on August 21, 1968. It put a sudden end
to the democratization, liberal reforms, and political
relaxation (a.k.a. “socialism with a human face”)
begun by Dubček’s government: the Prague Spring
Some people, for example, failed to return from
work-related abroad where they were sent by their
employer. This decision was not easy, however,
as it meant separation from family, who could
be persecuted by the regime. Especially in the
1980s it was easy for most people, even for whole
families, to get permission to travel to Yugoslavia,
a “fraternal socialist country”, and the promised
land for summer holidays. This was a good chance
for people who wanted to emigrate to the West.
There was no Iron Curtain between Yugoslavia and
neighboring Italy and Austria, so one could get to
the west over an unguarded border (usually in the
mountains), or often even by the regular border
crossing, if the border guard was sufficiently
benevolent. And last but not least there were those
who set out to visit Cuba with a layover in some
foreign city, perhaps Montreal, where one had to
get off the plane while it was being refueled. In the
airport terminal they would ask for asylum.
Most emigrants did not have a pre-arranged place
in a foreign country; they left their homeland with
empty hands, and often had to sit out months in
a refugee camp. Here they had to wait for their
documents to be issued that would allow them
to gain asylum. The risk, the uncertainty, and the
awareness that they would have to start again at the
bottom, was understood as the price of the freedom
for which they longed.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s there were those
whose emigration was forced, who found their
departure for the west suddenly hastened by
the authorities. Forced exile meant permanent
deportation from Czechoslovakia; most of the ones
exiled in this way were signatures of Charter 77 (a
document and a civic initiative that criticized the
Czechoslovak communist regime for suppressing
the human and civil rights that the CSSR had
agreed to in 1975 under international agreement).
The government found these people extremely
inconvenient, even dangerous. Under operation
Asanace (Sanitation), the goal of which was to
isolate Charter 77’s main organizers, the State
Security (StB) subjected a number of dissidents
to harassment, blackmail, and threats of
imprisonment to force them to leave the country.
What did one have to do during the era of so-called
“real socialism” in Czechoslovakia to be allowed to
legally leave the country?
From today’s perspective the conditions attached
to leaving the country might seem like a bad joke.
It was not enough to have a valid passport or visa
(necessary for all the West European countries).
Much more was needed, including a great deal of
patience and a strong stomach, because the entire
n Remnants of the
Iron Curtain near
Čížov
7
incredibly long bureaucratic process was extremely
degrading. Around the end of the 1970s it became
easier to travel to the West or Yugoslavia, but there
were still an inordinate number of barriers. One’s
chances of getting permission decreased if a person
was “politically unreliable”, or the more members
of a family wished to travel at once.
After requesting a certificate of a clean criminal
record, which usually took several weeks to
obtain, it was necessary to get a permit to leave
the country. It clearly stated the number of days a
person was allowed to spend abroad, and a precise
list of the countries he could visit. After 1970 it was
possible to get a permanent exit visa to the East
European countries, so it was not necessary to go
through the complicated process every time. It was
much more difficult to get permission to travel to
Western Europe. This process could take months,
but success was not guaranteed. It was granted
only on the recommendation of a whole series
of various person and organs, for example one’s
employer or school, the ROH (Revolutionary Labor
Movement), military officials, municipal officials,
the Communist Party’s street committees, and so
on. Often an interview with the cadre department at
one’s workplace was required. Your fate was in the
hands of people you didn’t know.
The granting of permission to leave was not the end
of the ordeal. Travelling to the democratic foreign
8
world and socialist Yugoslavia also depended on
obtaining a foreign currency allotment. Outside
of the black market it was the only way one
could legally exchange Czechoslovak crowns
for foreign currency. The Czechoslovak state
bank again granted these on the basis of various
recommendations and political reliability. Only
limited amounts of money could be exchanged,
and each year it could only be done until the end
of March. The only thing that could save you
from having to have the currency allotment was a
notarized, open invitation to visit a country (from a
family member, for example, or another emigrant).
More weeks were spent applying for the appropriate
visa or visas. If the bank allowed the transaction,
after filling out customs and currency statements
and paying for the special stamp, the currency
could be exchanged. University graduates were
required to leave their university degree with their
employer for the time of their absence.
Underwater to freedom
Many people’s efforts to fulfill the requirements for
legal travel to the Western countries were in vain,
and permission to travel was denied. The minds
of many people who wanted to emigrate began to
focus on an illegal crossing of state borders.
“Let the evil jaws of the warmongers turn to stone
/ hold your weapon firmly / aim your shot straight
and true / firmly defend the people and your
homeland!”
Poem For Peace, 1951
Now let us tell some of the fascinating stories of
people who succeeded in their courageous plans
for fleeing across the border. Although no one tried
to shoot their way to freedom like the members
of the Masin Brothers group in the 1950s, in most
cases it was still a real drama, decided by minutes
or seconds, and reliant on major doses of luck, and
often on precise and long-term preparation, study
of the area and use of skills, inventiveness, good
tactics, good timing, and quick legs. Unfortunately,
the longed-for freedom was not always waiting at
the end – unsuccessful attempts resulted in many
years’ imprisonment.
“We didn’t want to shoot. But we got into situations
where we had to shoot. It was either us or them. The
regime declared class war. Not us. They killed and
executed. We were supposed to face them with our
bare hands?"
Milan Paumer, member
of the Masin Brothers armed group
The “classic way” over the border, on one’s own two
legs, chose Václav Bařina, Miloš Ostrčilík, and two
other young people, on 20 September 1985, when
they dug, cut, and crawled under the wire near the
village of Úvaly, near Valtice on the border with
n „Freedom tank"
9
Who are the people who crossed the Iron
Curtain? And what were their reasons? What
were their lives like in the free world? Who
are the ones who helped them get away, and
who are the ones who guarded the border
against “violators”?
Find out about the true stories that
happened at real places along the borders of
Czechoslovakia from the internet archive at
www.pametnaroda.cz.
Austria. Václav Bařina began to prepare his escape
after not getting a currency allotment for a trip to
Yugoslavia.
“When I was planning the escape I would wake up
dreaming I had a bullet in me.”
Václav Bařina
From his old classmate who served with the border
guards he obtained valuable information on how
the wall functions and the pitfalls that awaited. He
chose Úvaly for his escape because his colleague
Miloš Ostrčilík had permanent residence there.
This border town was off limits to most people,
only locals and their visitors could go there, and
there was a border guard checkpoint on road to
the village. After a few trips to Úvaly together the
border guards became used to seeing Bařina, and
luckily for him the village had no informer to inform
of his suspicious surveying of the terrain. On the
day of the last visit to Úvaly, the day they escaped,
Bařina and Ostrčilík were joined, unplanned, by two
other young men who knew that, paradoxically,
there was a place that would not be visible from
the nearby guard towers even in good weather and
good visibility. That was because in good weather
the tower was unoccupied, and they relied on
covering that ground from the other two nearby
towers. Despite becoming panicked, tripping the
wire and warning the guards, all four of the young
men managed to get through the wire and run off
into Austria.
Not all relied on their bare hands and quick legs
alone. Some refugees tried to get over using brute
force, by crashing through in an armored or heavy
n Motorized hang glider of „Bird man“ (picture from
archive of Bavarian border police)
vehicle. In 1953 František Uhlík and seven others
succeeded in smashing through the barbed wire
in a repaired halftrack left over from World War II.
In 1961 the iron bar at the Česká Velenice crossing
was broken by an armored Tatra 128 containing 7
people, including former political prisoners Josef
Měrka and Luboš Králíček. The latter had one
unsuccessful attempt at escape behind him from
trying to cross the border near Břeclav in 1950.
The seemingly least-guarded part of the border
was the air, watched by anti-aircraft ground units
and fighter planes. Flying to the west was the
riskiest and most difficult way to get out, and very
dangerous.
On Friday, March 24, 1950, three ČSA domestic
passenger flights with a total of 85 people on
board took off from three different cities, Brno,
Bratislava, and Ostrava. Flying the planes were
pilots who had served on the western front during
the Second World War. Popelka, Angetter, Doleža,
and Světlík together with other members of the
crew and passengers had a pre-arranged plan for
a brave escape across the border. Some of them
had relatives on board (travelling under assumed
names), but there were also passengers who had
no idea what was about to transpire, including a
delegation of miners from Ostrava and a member
of the secret police. Among the informed was the
mother of famous Czech figure skater Aja Vrzáňová,
who was on her way to Great Britain to join her
daughter.
“After taking off I was at the controls. Before
Havlíčkův Brod I turned off the autopilot and set
8
world and socialist Yugoslavia also depended on
obtaining a foreign currency allotment. Outside
of the black market it was the only way one
could legally exchange Czechoslovak crowns
for foreign currency. The Czechoslovak state
bank again granted these on the basis of various
recommendations and political reliability. Only
limited amounts of money could be exchanged,
and each year it could only be done until the end
of March. The only thing that could save you
from having to have the currency allotment was a
notarized, open invitation to visit a country (from a
family member, for example, or another emigrant).
More weeks were spent applying for the appropriate
visa or visas. If the bank allowed the transaction,
after filling out customs and currency statements
and paying for the special stamp, the currency
could be exchanged. University graduates were
required to leave their university degree with their
employer for the time of their absence.
Underwater to freedom
Many people’s efforts to fulfill the requirements for
legal travel to the Western countries were in vain,
and permission to travel was denied. The minds
of many people who wanted to emigrate began to
focus on an illegal crossing of state borders.
“Let the evil jaws of the warmongers turn to stone
/ hold your weapon firmly / aim your shot straight
and true / firmly defend the people and your
homeland!”
Poem For Peace, 1951
Now let us tell some of the fascinating stories of
people who succeeded in their courageous plans
for fleeing across the border. Although no one tried
to shoot their way to freedom like the members
of the Masin Brothers group in the 1950s, in most
cases it was still a real drama, decided by minutes
or seconds, and reliant on major doses of luck, and
often on precise and long-term preparation, study
of the area and use of skills, inventiveness, good
tactics, good timing, and quick legs. Unfortunately,
the longed-for freedom was not always waiting at
the end – unsuccessful attempts resulted in many
years’ imprisonment.
“We didn’t want to shoot. But we got into situations
where we had to shoot. It was either us or them. The
regime declared class war. Not us. They killed and
executed. We were supposed to face them with our
bare hands?"
Milan Paumer, member
of the Masin Brothers armed group
The “classic way” over the border, on one’s own two
legs, chose Václav Bařina, Miloš Ostrčilík, and two
other young people, on 20 September 1985, when
they dug, cut, and crawled under the wire near the
village of Úvaly, near Valtice on the border with
n „Freedom tank"
9
Who are the people who crossed the Iron
Curtain? And what were their reasons? What
were their lives like in the free world? Who
are the ones who helped them get away, and
who are the ones who guarded the border
against “violators”?
Find out about the true stories that
happened at real places along the borders of
Czechoslovakia from the internet archive at
www.pametnaroda.cz.
Austria. Václav Bařina began to prepare his escape
after not getting a currency allotment for a trip to
Yugoslavia.
“When I was planning the escape I would wake up
dreaming I had a bullet in me.”
Václav Bařina
From his old classmate who served with the border
guards he obtained valuable information on how
the wall functions and the pitfalls that awaited. He
chose Úvaly for his escape because his colleague
Miloš Ostrčilík had permanent residence there.
This border town was off limits to most people,
only locals and their visitors could go there, and
there was a border guard checkpoint on road to
the village. After a few trips to Úvaly together the
border guards became used to seeing Bařina, and
luckily for him the village had no informer to inform
of his suspicious surveying of the terrain. On the
day of the last visit to Úvaly, the day they escaped,
Bařina and Ostrčilík were joined, unplanned, by two
other young men who knew that, paradoxically,
there was a place that would not be visible from
the nearby guard towers even in good weather and
good visibility. That was because in good weather
the tower was unoccupied, and they relied on
covering that ground from the other two nearby
towers. Despite becoming panicked, tripping the
wire and warning the guards, all four of the young
men managed to get through the wire and run off
into Austria.
Not all relied on their bare hands and quick legs
alone. Some refugees tried to get over using brute
force, by crashing through in an armored or heavy
n Motorized hang glider of „Bird man“ (picture from
archive of Bavarian border police)
vehicle. In 1953 František Uhlík and seven others
succeeded in smashing through the barbed wire
in a repaired halftrack left over from World War II.
In 1961 the iron bar at the Česká Velenice crossing
was broken by an armored Tatra 128 containing 7
people, including former political prisoners Josef
Měrka and Luboš Králíček. The latter had one
unsuccessful attempt at escape behind him from
trying to cross the border near Břeclav in 1950.
The seemingly least-guarded part of the border
was the air, watched by anti-aircraft ground units
and fighter planes. Flying to the west was the
riskiest and most difficult way to get out, and very
dangerous.
On Friday, March 24, 1950, three ČSA domestic
passenger flights with a total of 85 people on
board took off from three different cities, Brno,
Bratislava, and Ostrava. Flying the planes were
pilots who had served on the western front during
the Second World War. Popelka, Angetter, Doleža,
and Světlík together with other members of the
crew and passengers had a pre-arranged plan for
a brave escape across the border. Some of them
had relatives on board (travelling under assumed
names), but there were also passengers who had
no idea what was about to transpire, including a
delegation of miners from Ostrava and a member
of the secret police. Among the informed was the
mother of famous Czech figure skater Aja Vrzáňová,
who was on her way to Great Britain to join her
daughter.
“After taking off I was at the controls. Before
Havlíčkův Brod I turned off the autopilot and set
10
a course for Munich. Klesnil said to me, “What do
you think you’re doing?” I said, “Josef, remember
what I told you not long ago? We are flying to the
West!” He said to me, “You dummies, Procházka and
I were organizing the same thing,” he almost burst
into tears; he knew this was it and it was too late.
He accepted it.”
Vít Angetter, flight lieutenant
The flight over the border was perfectly planned,
and all three planes made it safely into Bavaria.
Altogether 27 people decided to ask for asylum. The
rest chose to return home.
Several people tried to get over the Iron Curtain
on motorized hang gliders. There was a chance
of success at night, but they had to fly very low to
avoid radar. But in that case the border guards on
the ground could detect the craft and shoot it down.
On August 28, 1984, two men tried to escape by
flying a hang glider from the Pálava Hills. Their
flight ended tragically – the glider crashed while
still on Czechoslovak territory. One of the men died
at the site, the other spent six months in the hospital
and then two and a half years in prison.
A slower, but less noisy means of escape by air
was the hot-air balloon. In 1983, in the spirit of
his grandfather’s motto that “you can’t help where
you were born, but you can help where you live”,
two-time champion of the CSSR in speed cycling
Robert Hutyra tried to make his way to freedom.
On the night of 7/8 September, 1983, with his wife,
two children, and his racing bike, they went up near
Znojmo in their own homemade balloon. The wind
blew kindly on the Hutyras and lofted them over to
Austria. The balloon was observed by the border
guard, but they hesitated to fire; they were not sure
whether the refugees weren’t already in Austrian
airspace. The bottom of Hutyra’s balloon’s basket
was reinforced with a steel plate meant to deflect
bullets. The border guards finally stood down, and
the Hutyra’s balloon landed near the village of
Falkenstein. The Hutyras eventually gained asylum
in the USA.
Libor Veselský of Břeclav planned to escape in his
hang glider. But during one of his test flights he
crashed and broke it. An air escape was now out
of the question for Veselský. But he soon came up
with an even more creative method – an underwater
escape across the Dyje River. With a diving suit and
camouflaged by a hollowed-out log, on the rainy
night of May 17, 1985 he submerged himself in the
river. Over the course of three hours he managed
to swim for 5.5 km until, frozen but happy, he
resurfaced safe on the Austrian side. He was helped
by the rain, which allowed him to float undetected
under several guard bridges, and avoid being
spotted in the strong halogen lights that shone on
the river.
n Iron Curtain
monument at Čížov
11
n Museum of the
Czech Border
Fortifications in Šatov
The Iron Curtain is torn down
On December 4, 1989, in the euphoria of the
Velvet Revolution, the border with the West was
opened, and that same month the barbed wire
separating the CSSR from Austria between Hatě
and Kleinhaugsdorf was ceremonially removed by
the first post-1989 foreign minister Jiří Dienstbier
and his Austrian colleague Alois Mock. Less than
a week later there was a ceremonial cutting of the
wires at the town of Nové Domky u Rozvadova on
the Czech-Bavarian border. By mid-1990 almost all
the barbed-wire fences on the Czechoslovak border
were been removed, and only a few remnants of the
Iron Curtain were left.
For over 20 years the ravages of time have been
eating away at what’s left of the Iron Curtain. In the
fields and meadows you would have a hard time
finding the evidence, and some of the scars left in
the Czech and Moravian forests are quickly healing,
too. If it weren’t for the former signal roads that
lead along the border, which are used today by
hikers and cyclists; and if it weren’t for the Moravian
vintners who saved some of the guard towers to
watch over their vineyards, we might have a hard
time finding where the Iron Curtain was.
In the region of South Moravia we can find a rare
remnant of the Iron Curtain outside the town of Čižov
in the Podyjí National Park, where there is now a
simple Iron Curtain Memorial. It consists of a single
wall of barbed wire about 300 m long, the signal
road, and one guard tower. An information panel
tells you about the history of the Iron Curtain, and
by prior arrangement the personnel from the nearby
park visitor center can tell you about it as well.
Another important relic of the Iron Curtain is found
in the Dyje triangle south of Břeclav, along almost
the entire western border of the Soutok game
reserve. All but forgotten stands a wall of barbed
wire a couple of kilometers long, which today
serves as a barrier to animals. For this purpose
the fence lost its upper wires that reached out to
the sides, and has been given regular chain link
sections and sometimes wooden planks. Cyclists
and walkers passing by do not even realize that they
are walking along the actual wires that were long
part of a physical barrier thousands of kilometers
long between the East and the West. Climbing
plants, grasses, and sediment from the occasional
floods are beginning to swallow some of the fence,
but the original gates in the fence that occur every
100-200 meters and which the border guards used
in their pursuit of escapees and movement between
the layers of wire, betray the fact that this is no
ordinary fence.
In the village of Šatov we find the Museum of the
Czechoslovak Fortifications dating from 1935–
1938, which has a new section devoted to the Iron
Curtain, featuring a guard tower, several fields of
wire barriers, and a field of the kind of anti-tank
barriers known as “Czech hedgehogs”. The original
Iron Curtain line of barbed wire went through here
10
a course for Munich. Klesnil said to me, “What do
you think you’re doing?” I said, “Josef, remember
what I told you not long ago? We are flying to the
West!” He said to me, “You dummies, Procházka and
I were organizing the same thing,” he almost burst
into tears; he knew this was it and it was too late.
He accepted it.”
Vít Angetter, flight lieutenant
The flight over the border was perfectly planned,
and all three planes made it safely into Bavaria.
Altogether 27 people decided to ask for asylum. The
rest chose to return home.
Several people tried to get over the Iron Curtain
on motorized hang gliders. There was a chance
of success at night, but they had to fly very low to
avoid radar. But in that case the border guards on
the ground could detect the craft and shoot it down.
On August 28, 1984, two men tried to escape by
flying a hang glider from the Pálava Hills. Their
flight ended tragically – the glider crashed while
still on Czechoslovak territory. One of the men died
at the site, the other spent six months in the hospital
and then two and a half years in prison.
A slower, but less noisy means of escape by air
was the hot-air balloon. In 1983, in the spirit of
his grandfather’s motto that “you can’t help where
you were born, but you can help where you live”,
two-time champion of the CSSR in speed cycling
Robert Hutyra tried to make his way to freedom.
On the night of 7/8 September, 1983, with his wife,
two children, and his racing bike, they went up near
Znojmo in their own homemade balloon. The wind
blew kindly on the Hutyras and lofted them over to
Austria. The balloon was observed by the border
guard, but they hesitated to fire; they were not sure
whether the refugees weren’t already in Austrian
airspace. The bottom of Hutyra’s balloon’s basket
was reinforced with a steel plate meant to deflect
bullets. The border guards finally stood down, and
the Hutyra’s balloon landed near the village of
Falkenstein. The Hutyras eventually gained asylum
in the USA.
Libor Veselský of Břeclav planned to escape in his
hang glider. But during one of his test flights he
crashed and broke it. An air escape was now out
of the question for Veselský. But he soon came up
with an even more creative method – an underwater
escape across the Dyje River. With a diving suit and
camouflaged by a hollowed-out log, on the rainy
night of May 17, 1985 he submerged himself in the
river. Over the course of three hours he managed
to swim for 5.5 km until, frozen but happy, he
resurfaced safe on the Austrian side. He was helped
by the rain, which allowed him to float undetected
under several guard bridges, and avoid being
spotted in the strong halogen lights that shone on
the river.
n Iron Curtain
monument at Čížov
11
n Museum of the
Czech Border
Fortifications in Šatov
The Iron Curtain is torn down
On December 4, 1989, in the euphoria of the
Velvet Revolution, the border with the West was
opened, and that same month the barbed wire
separating the CSSR from Austria between Hatě
and Kleinhaugsdorf was ceremonially removed by
the first post-1989 foreign minister Jiří Dienstbier
and his Austrian colleague Alois Mock. Less than
a week later there was a ceremonial cutting of the
wires at the town of Nové Domky u Rozvadova on
the Czech-Bavarian border. By mid-1990 almost all
the barbed-wire fences on the Czechoslovak border
were been removed, and only a few remnants of the
Iron Curtain were left.
For over 20 years the ravages of time have been
eating away at what’s left of the Iron Curtain. In the
fields and meadows you would have a hard time
finding the evidence, and some of the scars left in
the Czech and Moravian forests are quickly healing,
too. If it weren’t for the former signal roads that
lead along the border, which are used today by
hikers and cyclists; and if it weren’t for the Moravian
vintners who saved some of the guard towers to
watch over their vineyards, we might have a hard
time finding where the Iron Curtain was.
In the region of South Moravia we can find a rare
remnant of the Iron Curtain outside the town of Čižov
in the Podyjí National Park, where there is now a
simple Iron Curtain Memorial. It consists of a single
wall of barbed wire about 300 m long, the signal
road, and one guard tower. An information panel
tells you about the history of the Iron Curtain, and
by prior arrangement the personnel from the nearby
park visitor center can tell you about it as well.
Another important relic of the Iron Curtain is found
in the Dyje triangle south of Břeclav, along almost
the entire western border of the Soutok game
reserve. All but forgotten stands a wall of barbed
wire a couple of kilometers long, which today
serves as a barrier to animals. For this purpose
the fence lost its upper wires that reached out to
the sides, and has been given regular chain link
sections and sometimes wooden planks. Cyclists
and walkers passing by do not even realize that they
are walking along the actual wires that were long
part of a physical barrier thousands of kilometers
long between the East and the West. Climbing
plants, grasses, and sediment from the occasional
floods are beginning to swallow some of the fence,
but the original gates in the fence that occur every
100-200 meters and which the border guards used
in their pursuit of escapees and movement between
the layers of wire, betray the fact that this is no
ordinary fence.
In the village of Šatov we find the Museum of the
Czechoslovak Fortifications dating from 1935–
1938, which has a new section devoted to the Iron
Curtain, featuring a guard tower, several fields of
wire barriers, and a field of the kind of anti-tank
barriers known as “Czech hedgehogs”. The original
Iron Curtain line of barbed wire went through here
12
13
The European Green Belt
Borders divide, nature unites
n Museum of the Iron Curtain in Valtice
a few meters south of the signal road. The area is
dominated by the pre-WWII-era bunker surrounded
by metal hedgehogs, which is open to the public in
the summer.
The Museum of the Iron Curtain opened in 2011
the former border guard barracks above Valtice. A
half-hour tour tells visitors about the Iron Curtain’s
technical aspects and means, the border guards’
equipment, and period documents. The exhibit
includes a real detention cell, and a demonstration
model of the wire barriers.
A 13th panel is located at the Mikulov castle along
with a bell of freedom. Here the Trail of Freedom
starts for walkers and cyclists which links all the
panels. It was opened in 2011 by the civic association
Paměť with the attendance of several successful
escapees.
The stories of those who successfully and
unsuccessfully tried to cross the Iron Curtain are
told on 12 panels in Czech and German along 2 km
of former signal road southeast of Mikulov.
n Remnants of the
barbed wire in the
Soutok reserve
The Iron Curtain was a long belt of “no-man’s land”
between the East and West, which was up to several
kilometers wide in some places. Entering this area
without a special permit was strictly forbidden; economic activity was severely limited. Paradoxically
this created a unique “green belt” the whole way
across Europe that was spared many of the negative impacts of human activity, such as massive pollution or loss of biodiversity. It’s no accident, then,
that shortly after the fall of the Iron Curtain and the
subsequent opening up of this land to the public,
the most valuable natural localities were declared
protected areas by the various countries, in the form
of national or natural parks, biosphere reserves, or
protected areas under the program Natura 2000.
Although the territory we are talking about is mainly the forbidden border zones of the east-bloc countries, the natural environment in the adjacent area
along the other, western side of the border profited
as well from the decline in human activity. This, too,
was part of the reason that protection of this green
belt eventually turned into a European-wide initiative which grew out of the original idea for a green
belt between East and West Germany that was
signed by more than 400 nature protectionists at a
meeting in the Bavarian town of Hof, near the East
German border. Here’s where the name Green Belt
was first introduced.
At present dozens of organizations and groups interested in protecting the European Green Belt are being directed by a European coordinating group; the
Czech representative is the Partnership Foundation.
The European Green Belt, nearly 12,500 km long,
passes through 24 European countries; in 2003 former Soviet president Michail Gorbachev became its
patron. Although it cannot be said that the green belt
represents a completely contiguous chain of original
ecosystems, we can imagine it as a necklace that connects on a European scale unique concentrations of
natural jewels and other valuable natural localities
rich in flora and fauna, including many endangered
species. For these the possibility of safer migration
between individual regions and countries can be
HELSINKY
OSLO
PETROHRAD
STOCKHOLM
RIGA
LŰBECK
BERLÍN
GDAŇSK
VARŠAVA
PRAHA
VÍDEŇ
BRATISLAVA
BUDAPEŠŤ
BĚLEHRAD
BUKUREŠŤ
SOFIE
decisive, while intensive economic activity and construction is a threat to them. At a time of reopened
borders and the development of economically-underdeveloped border areas (especially on the east
bloc side), it is very important to be aware of this and
prevent the fragmentation of biotops.
Interest in the natural wealth of the green belt does
not have to conflict with economic development in
the border regions. On the contrary, whether it be
development of the tourist industry, agriculture, or
industry, the principle of sustainability must be observed; that is, the low-impact integration of human
activity into a given environment.
The Green Belt in South Moravia
Unlike the largely forested and mountainous areas
of the green belt in Bohemia, its South Moravian
segment continues through to much lower elevations. The cultured landscape here is more agricultural than forestry-based, with the fields, meadows,
and vineyards for which South Moravia is so well
known.
12
13
The European Green Belt
Borders divide, nature unites
n Museum of the Iron Curtain in Valtice
a few meters south of the signal road. The area is
dominated by the pre-WWII-era bunker surrounded
by metal hedgehogs, which is open to the public in
the summer.
The Museum of the Iron Curtain opened in 2011
the former border guard barracks above Valtice. A
half-hour tour tells visitors about the Iron Curtain’s
technical aspects and means, the border guards’
equipment, and period documents. The exhibit
includes a real detention cell, and a demonstration
model of the wire barriers.
A 13th panel is located at the Mikulov castle along
with a bell of freedom. Here the Trail of Freedom
starts for walkers and cyclists which links all the
panels. It was opened in 2011 by the civic association
Paměť with the attendance of several successful
escapees.
The stories of those who successfully and
unsuccessfully tried to cross the Iron Curtain are
told on 12 panels in Czech and German along 2 km
of former signal road southeast of Mikulov.
n Remnants of the
barbed wire in the
Soutok reserve
The Iron Curtain was a long belt of “no-man’s land”
between the East and West, which was up to several
kilometers wide in some places. Entering this area
without a special permit was strictly forbidden; economic activity was severely limited. Paradoxically
this created a unique “green belt” the whole way
across Europe that was spared many of the negative impacts of human activity, such as massive pollution or loss of biodiversity. It’s no accident, then,
that shortly after the fall of the Iron Curtain and the
subsequent opening up of this land to the public,
the most valuable natural localities were declared
protected areas by the various countries, in the form
of national or natural parks, biosphere reserves, or
protected areas under the program Natura 2000.
Although the territory we are talking about is mainly the forbidden border zones of the east-bloc countries, the natural environment in the adjacent area
along the other, western side of the border profited
as well from the decline in human activity. This, too,
was part of the reason that protection of this green
belt eventually turned into a European-wide initiative which grew out of the original idea for a green
belt between East and West Germany that was
signed by more than 400 nature protectionists at a
meeting in the Bavarian town of Hof, near the East
German border. Here’s where the name Green Belt
was first introduced.
At present dozens of organizations and groups interested in protecting the European Green Belt are being directed by a European coordinating group; the
Czech representative is the Partnership Foundation.
The European Green Belt, nearly 12,500 km long,
passes through 24 European countries; in 2003 former Soviet president Michail Gorbachev became its
patron. Although it cannot be said that the green belt
represents a completely contiguous chain of original
ecosystems, we can imagine it as a necklace that connects on a European scale unique concentrations of
natural jewels and other valuable natural localities
rich in flora and fauna, including many endangered
species. For these the possibility of safer migration
between individual regions and countries can be
HELSINKY
OSLO
PETROHRAD
STOCKHOLM
RIGA
LŰBECK
BERLÍN
GDAŇSK
VARŠAVA
PRAHA
VÍDEŇ
BRATISLAVA
BUDAPEŠŤ
BĚLEHRAD
BUKUREŠŤ
SOFIE
decisive, while intensive economic activity and construction is a threat to them. At a time of reopened
borders and the development of economically-underdeveloped border areas (especially on the east
bloc side), it is very important to be aware of this and
prevent the fragmentation of biotops.
Interest in the natural wealth of the green belt does
not have to conflict with economic development in
the border regions. On the contrary, whether it be
development of the tourist industry, agriculture, or
industry, the principle of sustainability must be observed; that is, the low-impact integration of human
activity into a given environment.
The Green Belt in South Moravia
Unlike the largely forested and mountainous areas
of the green belt in Bohemia, its South Moravian
segment continues through to much lower elevations. The cultured landscape here is more agricultural than forestry-based, with the fields, meadows,
and vineyards for which South Moravia is so well
known.
14
n Bodies of water play
an important role
in the green belt of
South Moravia
The greatest jewels of the South Moravian Green
Belt are the Podyjí National Park and the Dolní
Morava Biosphere Reserve, which includes the
Pálava Hills Protected Landscape Area, the Lednice-Valtice Area, and the region of floodplain
forests south of Břeclav to the confluence of the
Dyje (Thaya) and Morava (March) Rivers. It is remarkable that besides the border with Austria, or
the former Iron Curtain, the entire territory of the
South Moravian green belt unites the Dyje River
flowing through the countryside from west to
east. The Dyje thus forms the second backbone of
the green belt of South Moravia, which in several
places also corresponds to the first, the country’s
border with Austria. The hiking trails of the South
Moravian green belt, which we will talk about later,
are almost exclusively concentrated in the Podyjí
National Park and the Dolní Morava Biosphere Reserve. The marked tourist trails referred to in the
text can be found in the map segments at the end
of this brochure.
Podyjí National Park and Thayatal
The Podyjí National Park was formed out of the
former protected landscape area as of July 1, 1991.
It protects the 40-km-long and up to 220-meterdeep Dyje River canyon between Vranov nad Dyjí
and Znojmo. Covering an area of only 63 km² (and
29 km² of protected buffer zone) it is the country’s
smallest national park; but the range of its natural
wealth is comparable to some of the largest protected areas. The area merits its highest of category
nature protection not only for the deep river valley,
one of the most unspoiled in the CR, but also the
heath and steppe habitat on its Eastern edge. In the
Podyjí we find plants and animal species typical for
the cooler Hereynicum areas of Central Europe, with
representatives of warmer Pannonian from the former Yugoslavia and Hungary. This is reflected in the
large populations and variety of flora and fauna in
the Podyjí National Park.
There are more than 1,300 species of higher plants,
of which several dozen are specially protected (for
example Alpine Cyclamen, Showy Mullein, Greater
Pasque Flower, Dwarf Iris, Black False Hellbore,
and 18 types of orchid). In the western part are submontane beechwood with fir and yew, which toward
the east turn into stands of oak-hornbeam wood.
Among the rarer species are Cornelian Cherry, Common Juniper, Common Cotoneaster, and wild cherry.
In localities subject to temperature inversion we find
Sycamore Maples, European Bladdernut, and alpine
rose.
Of the animal kingdom, 65 species of mammal make
their home in Podyjí National Park (including the
Bicolored Shrew, Field Vole, Brandt’s Bat, and European Otter), 152 species of birds, of which two thirds
nest here (for example the Black stork – symbol of
the Podyjí NP, Hoopoe, Kingfisher, Honey Buzzard,
and Eurasian Eagle-owl), seven species of reptile
(including European Green Lizard, and Aesculapian snake), fourteen species of amphibian (Great
Crested Newt, Fire Salamander, and several types
of frog), and a large number of insects, such as the
Praying Mantis, Rhinoceros Beetle, Owlfly, Mantispid, Stag Beetle, Great Capricorn Beetle, and twelve
specially-protected species of butterfly.
The fish population on the Dyje River in the national
park was negatively affected by the construction of
the Vranov Dam in the 1930s. Since then the current of the Dyje River downstream from the dam has
been colder. The current is different too, adjusted to
the needs of the electric power station on the dam
instead of the needs of the fish. The number of species has declined and the river has changed from a
barbell zone to a trout zone, and it also prevents fish
from migrating upstream. In 1965 the Znojmo dam
was built, preventing fish from migrating downstream as well.
Even so the environment in Podyjí is of rare quality, paradoxically thanks to the former Iron Curtain,
when most of this area lay within the forbidden
border zone. Except for the forest cuts for the border fences, which are almost overgrown today (but
can still be seen from the Železné schody lookout),
nature in Podyjí has been left to natural processes
without major human influence.
Another great benefit for the Podyjí has been the
creation of the Thayatal National Park (13.3 km²) on
the Austrian side of the river as of January 1, 2000.
This created a bilateral protected national park Podyjí – Thayatal, which has produced even benefits
for nature (for example in the form of joint projects
by environmentalists from the two countries), exchange of data and experience, etc.) as well as for
visitors, who can use the interconnected network of
hiking trails and bi-lingual information panels.
n Dyje River Valley
The Podyjí National Park can be discovered on foot
along more than 80 km of hiking trails marked with
the Czech Tourist Club’s classic stripes and arrows,
and in the Thayatal along 25 km of route marked
with colored panels. These easy to moderate trails
are laid out so as to take you to all the points of interest in the area, and introduce you to the characteristic features of this unique area. If you make use
of the connections and crossroads between the two,
you can walk the whole area from Vranov nad Dyjí
in the west to the Havranice heath and the town of
Znojmo in the east.
At important sites on both sides, multi-lingual information tables are placed to tell you about the natural and historic points of interest in this area. You
can also get information at the visitor center above
the town of Hardegg. From spring to fall both parks
offer a number of guided thematic walks and rides.
n Alpine rose
15
14
n Bodies of water play
an important role
in the green belt of
South Moravia
The greatest jewels of the South Moravian Green
Belt are the Podyjí National Park and the Dolní
Morava Biosphere Reserve, which includes the
Pálava Hills Protected Landscape Area, the Lednice-Valtice Area, and the region of floodplain
forests south of Břeclav to the confluence of the
Dyje (Thaya) and Morava (March) Rivers. It is remarkable that besides the border with Austria, or
the former Iron Curtain, the entire territory of the
South Moravian green belt unites the Dyje River
flowing through the countryside from west to
east. The Dyje thus forms the second backbone of
the green belt of South Moravia, which in several
places also corresponds to the first, the country’s
border with Austria. The hiking trails of the South
Moravian green belt, which we will talk about later,
are almost exclusively concentrated in the Podyjí
National Park and the Dolní Morava Biosphere Reserve. The marked tourist trails referred to in the
text can be found in the map segments at the end
of this brochure.
Podyjí National Park and Thayatal
The Podyjí National Park was formed out of the
former protected landscape area as of July 1, 1991.
It protects the 40-km-long and up to 220-meterdeep Dyje River canyon between Vranov nad Dyjí
and Znojmo. Covering an area of only 63 km² (and
29 km² of protected buffer zone) it is the country’s
smallest national park; but the range of its natural
wealth is comparable to some of the largest protected areas. The area merits its highest of category
nature protection not only for the deep river valley,
one of the most unspoiled in the CR, but also the
heath and steppe habitat on its Eastern edge. In the
Podyjí we find plants and animal species typical for
the cooler Hereynicum areas of Central Europe, with
representatives of warmer Pannonian from the former Yugoslavia and Hungary. This is reflected in the
large populations and variety of flora and fauna in
There are more than 1,300 species of higher plants,
of which several dozen are specially protected (for
example Alpine Cyclamen, Showy Mullein, Greater
Pasque Flower, Dwarf Iris, Black False Hellbore,
and 18 types of orchid). In the western part are submontane beechwood with fir and yew, which toward
the east turn into stands of oak-hornbeam wood.
Among the rarer species are Cornelian Cherry, Common Juniper, Common Cotoneaster, and wild cherry.
In localities subject to temperature inversion we find
Sycamore Maples, European Bladdernut, and alpine
rose.
Of the animal kingdom, 65 species of mammal make
their home in Podyjí National Park (including the
Bicolored Shrew, Field Vole, Brandt’s Bat, and European Otter), 152 species of birds, of which two thirds
nest here (for example the Black stork – symbol of
the Podyjí NP, Hoopoe, Kingfisher, Honey Buzzard,
and Eurasian Eagle-owl), seven species of reptile
(including European Green Lizard, and Aesculapian snake), fourteen species of amphibian (Great
Crested Newt, Fire Salamander, and several types
of frog), and a large number of insects, such as the
Praying Mantis, Rhinoceros Beetle, Owlfly, Mantispid, Stag Beetle, Great Capricorn Beetle, and twelve
specially-protected species of butterfly.
The fish population on the Dyje River in the national
park was negatively affected by the construction of
the Vranov Dam in the 1930s. Since then the current of the Dyje River downstream from the dam has
been colder. The current is different too, adjusted to
the needs of the electric power station on the dam
instead of the needs of the fish. The number of species has declined and the river has changed from a
barbell zone to a trout zone, and it also prevents fish
from migrating upstream. In 1965 the Znojmo dam
was built, preventing fish from migrating downstream as well.
Even so the environment in Podyjí is of rare quality, paradoxically thanks to the former Iron Curtain,
when most of this area lay within the forbidden
border zone. Except for the forest cuts for the border fences, which are almost overgrown today (but
can still be seen from the Železné schody lookout),
nature in Podyjí has been left to natural processes
without major human influence.
Another great benefit for the Podyjí has been the
creation of the Thayatal National Park (13.3 km²) on
the Austrian side of the river as of January 1, 2000.
This created a bilateral protected national park Podyjí – Thayatal, which has produced even benefits
for nature (for example in the form of joint projects
by environmentalists from the two countries), exchange of data and experience, etc.) as well as for
visitors, who can use the interconnected network of
hiking trails and bi-lingual information panels.
n Dyje River Valley
The Podyjí National Park can be discovered on foot
along more than 80 km of hiking trails marked with
the Czech Tourist Club’s classic stripes and arrows,
and in the Thayatal along 25 km of route marked
with colored panels. These easy to moderate trails
are laid out so as to take you to all the points of interest in the area, and introduce you to the characteristic features of this unique area. If you make use
of the connections and crossroads between the two,
you can walk the whole area from Vranov nad Dyjí
in the west to the Havranice heath and the town of
Znojmo in the east.
At important sites on both sides, multi-lingual information tables are placed to tell you about the natural and historic points of interest in this area. You
can also get information at the visitor center above
the town of Hardegg. From spring to fall both parks
offer a number of guided thematic walks and rides.
n Alpine rose
15
16
north. Your trail will take you through a large area
of heath (which blooms beautifully purple in the Indian Summer), containing rare thermophilic species
of plants and insects.
In the following list you will find more historically
and touristically interesting and attractive places
n Green Lizard
n Black Stork
You can find the calendar of events at (www.nppodyji.cz a www.np-thayatal.at).
ders of the Dyje meet – the Austrian Umlauf and the
Ostroh in Moravia. Beside the unforgettable scenery
of the deep river valley, there is also a fine view from
here of the nearby ruined castle of Nový Hrad.
When touring the park you won’t find crowds of
tourists. You’ll have the time and the peace to enjoy the views from the overlooks high above the
Dyjí River canyon, with its slopes adorned with
healthy forests and numerous rock outcroppings
and scree fields. Don’t miss the rock landing with
obelisk above Ledové sluje, and the Smugglers’
Trail (on the red-marked hiking trail), which leads
to it from the south on the edge of a steep forested
slope on the Moravian side of the border. The Dyje
River quietly hums at the bottom, or rushes loudly
in places where small dams were built to service the
water mills there. All that is left of the mills today
are some old foundations and the meadows where
they had their barns and outbuildings. Today these
meadows are valued for their rich variety of wildflowers, which in turn support many insects, including a great variety of butterflies. Last but not least
are the marvelous views down into the Dyje canyon
from the left bank above the Znojmo reservoir at the
Králův stolec overlook, and from Sealsfield’s Rock
overlook on the right bank.
The Austrian side of the Dyje River valley is best explored via the red-marked hiking trail “Thaytalweg”
between Hardegg and the ruined castle Kaja, which
is probably the most beautiful marked trail in the
Thayatal Park. About halfway through you come to
a narrow rock formation where two mighty mean-
On the Moravian side, the river and meadows are
best discovered via the yellow and blue hiking trail
following the big meander and the Šobes vineyard.
Here you can observe life on the river from two
suspended foot bridges directly over the Dyje. And
while you’re in Šobes, don’t forget to visit its famous
vineyard, one of the most beautiful in all of Europe,
on the north bank of the river facing south. The
grapevine has been grown here since the Middle
Ages, while the locality has been inhabited since
the Stone Age. Right by the vineyard there is a stand
where during the tourist season you can taste wine
from this vineyard (mainly Pinot Gris and Blanc,
Rhine Riesling and Welsch Riesling). The extraordinary Šobes locality produced wines served at the
table of the Czech kings. From the trail junction
Pod Šobesem, over the bridge and meadow on the
marked trails is a little less than a kilometer.
You can admire some other vineyards on the eastern
edge of both national parks above the winemaking
towns of Retzbach, Hnanice, Havraníky, Popice, and
Konice, where the rows of vines stretch out towards
the eastern horizon, and southward into Austria.
Distant vistas are offered by a hike along the yellow and red trails, from the pilgrimage site of Heiliger Stein to the south, to the town of Znojmo in the
17
which you should not miss in your wanderings
through Podyjí and Thayatal National Parks:
1) The smallest town in Austria, Hardegg, is set
harmonically into the narrow basin of the Fugnitz stream at its confluence with the Dyje. It is
dominated by a castle atop the rock, the origins of
n Marked hiking trails in the Podyjí NP and Hardegg overlook.
n Rock formations near Šobes
nSuspension bridge over the Dyje River below Šobes.
16
north. Your trail will take you through a large area
of heath (which blooms beautifully purple in the Indian Summer), containing rare thermophilic species
of plants and insects.
In the following list you will find more historically
and touristically interesting and attractive places
n Green Lizard
n Black Stork
You can find the calendar of events at (www.nppodyji.cz a www.np-thayatal.at).
ders of the Dyje meet – the Austrian Umlauf and the
Ostroh in Moravia. Beside the unforgettable scenery
of the deep river valley, there is also a fine view from
here of the nearby ruined castle of Nový Hrad.
When touring the park you won’t find crowds of
tourists. You’ll have the time and the peace to enjoy the views from the overlooks high above the
Dyjí River canyon, with its slopes adorned with
healthy forests and numerous rock outcroppings
and scree fields. Don’t miss the rock landing with
obelisk above Ledové sluje, and the Smugglers’
Trail (on the red-marked hiking trail), which leads
to it from the south on the edge of a steep forested
slope on the Moravian side of the border. The Dyje
River quietly hums at the bottom, or rushes loudly
in places where small dams were built to service the
water mills there. All that is left of the mills today
are some old foundations and the meadows where
they had their barns and outbuildings. Today these
meadows are valued for their rich variety of wildflowers, which in turn support many insects, including a great variety of butterflies. Last but not least
are the marvelous views down into the Dyje canyon
from the left bank above the Znojmo reservoir at the
Králův stolec overlook, and from Sealsfield’s Rock
overlook on the right bank.
The Austrian side of the Dyje River valley is best explored via the red-marked hiking trail “Thaytalweg”
between Hardegg and the ruined castle Kaja, which
is probably the most beautiful marked trail in the
Thayatal Park. About halfway through you come to
a narrow rock formation where two mighty mean-
On the Moravian side, the river and meadows are
best discovered via the yellow and blue hiking trail
following the big meander and the Šobes vineyard.
Here you can observe life on the river from two
suspended foot bridges directly over the Dyje. And
while you’re in Šobes, don’t forget to visit its famous
vineyard, one of the most beautiful in all of Europe,
on the north bank of the river facing south. The
grapevine has been grown here since the Middle
Ages, while the locality has been inhabited since
the Stone Age. Right by the vineyard there is a stand
where during the tourist season you can taste wine
from this vineyard (mainly Pinot Gris and Blanc,
Rhine Riesling and Welsch Riesling). The extraordinary Šobes locality produced wines served at the
table of the Czech kings. From the trail junction
Pod Šobesem, over the bridge and meadow on the
marked trails is a little less than a kilometer.
You can admire some other vineyards on the eastern
edge of both national parks above the winemaking
towns of Retzbach, Hnanice, Havraníky, Popice, and
Konice, where the rows of vines stretch out towards
the eastern horizon, and southward into Austria.
Distant vistas are offered by a hike along the yellow and red trails, from the pilgrimage site of Heiliger Stein to the south, to the town of Znojmo in the
17
which you should not miss in your wanderings
through Podyjí and Thayatal National Parks:
1) The smallest town in Austria, Hardegg, is set
harmonically into the narrow basin of the Fugnitz stream at its confluence with the Dyje. It is
dominated by a castle atop the rock, the origins of
n Marked hiking trails in the Podyjí NP and Hardegg overlook.
n Rock formations near Šobes
nSuspension bridge over the Dyje River below Šobes.
18
n The former signal road in the
east part of the Podyjí is lined
by vineyards perfect for nordic
walking. The Znovin Znojmo
winery’s information panel tells
about the local wine tradition and
local points of interest. Don’t resist
the temptation to visit one of the
wine cellar streets and taste the
excellent wine being offered.
which go back to the 10th century. The village is
so picturesque that it became a popular summer
destination back in the late 19th century. That era
was ended by the Second World War, and the period from 1948 to 1989 when the Iron Curtain made
Hardegg the “town at the end of the world”, as
the population moved away and the economy declined. Reopening of the border bridge across the
Dyje in 1990 on the initiative of the local citizens
brought the slow revival of cross-border tourism. Today Hardegg is the heart of the Thayathal
National Park and the main gateway to the hiking
trails in the area. From the town, its castle, and
the Dyje River valley there are excellent views of
the nearby rock formations: Einsiedler, Hennerweg, Maxplateau, Reginafelsen, and the Hardegg
overlook over on the Moravian side.
2)The ruins of the hunting castle Nový Hrádek
stand amidst the thick forest of the Podyjí’s central part. From its observation platform there is a
spectacular view of the Dyje meandering around
19
Hallamassková overlook, Mniszek Cross, and
Tanečnice). The Clary Cross overlook gives the
best view of the dam and water at the Vranov
Reservoir, which invites you for a cool refreshing
swim in the summertime.
the Ostroha on the Moravian side and the Umlaufberg on the Austrian side. The relief of the terrain gives the impression of three rivers flowing
around the castle.
3)The 800-year-old castle ruins of Kaja not far
from Merkersdorf in Austria stand on a rocky
crest surrounded by two streams. From the 23-mhigh tower there is a beautiful view of the forest
in the Thayatal National Park in the valley of the
Kajabach stream, and further onward within the
Podyjí National Park. The castle, which was visited frequently from 1252 to 1278 by Czech King
Přemysl Otakar II., features the residential hall
of the medieval castle, fountain, armory, knightly
hall, chapel, and dungeon tower.
4)Vranov nad Dyjí is commanded by its Baroque
pearl of a chateau, rising high on a cliff above
a bend in the Dyje River. From the chateau one
looks down at the village and neighboring slopes,
each with their own favorite overlook points:
5)The royal town of Znojmo, high on the left bank
of the Dyje River valley, is besides Hardegg and
Vranov one of the three main gateways to the Podyjí National Park and Thayatal. In the historic
town center, which is an urban moment zone, you
will find much of the old town wall still standing,
along with old townhouses, and several churches
and monasteries, Znojmo castle, and the town’s
extensive, up to four-story underground catacombs from the 13th to 17th century. The Romanesque Rotunda of St. Katharine dating to 1037, with
frescoes from 1134, are a national cultural monument. The enormous Loucký Monastery, though
still unrestored, is worth a visit; it includes a museum of wine barrel making and the wine archive
of the Znovín Znojmo winery. The atmosphere of
the town is enhanced by the terraces above the
Dyje River, which wind with their little paths and
rocky overlooks. The prettiest view into the valley is from the gallery of St. Václav’s Chapel or
from the Hradišťě Terraces, you see the Znojmo
Reservoir, and a fine technical monument, the
48-m-high and 220-m-long viaduct over the Dyje
valley dating from 1871. The best views of the entire town are found from the top of the town hall’s
80-meter-high tower – in good weather you can
n Chateau Vranov nad Dyjí.
n Plaque commemorating the re-opening of the
border between the CR and Austria in April, 1990,
and a view of Hardegg from the Hardegg overlok.
18
n The former signal road in the
east part of the Podyjí is lined
by vineyards perfect for nordic
walking. The Znovin Znojmo
winery’s information panel tells
about the local wine tradition and
local points of interest. Don’t resist
the temptation to visit one of the
wine cellar streets and taste the
excellent wine being offered.
which go back to the 10th century. The village is
so picturesque that it became a popular summer
destination back in the late 19th century. That era
was ended by the Second World War, and the period from 1948 to 1989 when the Iron Curtain made
Hardegg the “town at the end of the world”, as
the population moved away and the economy declined. Reopening of the border bridge across the
Dyje in 1990 on the initiative of the local citizens
brought the slow revival of cross-border tourism. Today Hardegg is the heart of the Thayathal
National Park and the main gateway to the hiking
trails in the area. From the town, its castle, and
the Dyje River valley there are excellent views of
the nearby rock formations: Einsiedler, Hennerweg, Maxplateau, Reginafelsen, and the Hardegg
overlook over on the Moravian side.
2)The ruins of the hunting castle Nový Hrádek
stand amidst the thick forest of the Podyjí’s central part. From its observation platform there is a
spectacular view of the Dyje meandering around
19
Hallamassková overlook, Mniszek Cross, and
Tanečnice). The Clary Cross overlook gives the
best view of the dam and water at the Vranov
Reservoir, which invites you for a cool refreshing
swim in the summertime.
the Ostroha on the Moravian side and the Umlaufberg on the Austrian side. The relief of the terrain gives the impression of three rivers flowing
around the castle.
3)The 800-year-old castle ruins of Kaja not far
from Merkersdorf in Austria stand on a rocky
crest surrounded by two streams. From the 23-mhigh tower there is a beautiful view of the forest
in the Thayatal National Park in the valley of the
Kajabach stream, and further onward within the
Podyjí National Park. The castle, which was visited frequently from 1252 to 1278 by Czech King
Přemysl Otakar II., features the residential hall
of the medieval castle, fountain, armory, knightly
hall, chapel, and dungeon tower.
4)Vranov nad Dyjí is commanded by its Baroque
pearl of a chateau, rising high on a cliff above
a bend in the Dyje River. From the chateau one
looks down at the village and neighboring slopes,
each with their own favorite overlook points:
5)The royal town of Znojmo, high on the left bank
of the Dyje River valley, is besides Hardegg and
Vranov one of the three main gateways to the Podyjí National Park and Thayatal. In the historic
town center, which is an urban moment zone, you
will find much of the old town wall still standing,
along with old townhouses, and several churches
and monasteries, Znojmo castle, and the town’s
extensive, up to four-story underground catacombs from the 13th to 17th century. The Romanesque Rotunda of St. Katharine dating to 1037, with
frescoes from 1134, are a national cultural monument. The enormous Loucký Monastery, though
still unrestored, is worth a visit; it includes a museum of wine barrel making and the wine archive
of the Znovín Znojmo winery. The atmosphere of
the town is enhanced by the terraces above the
Dyje River, which wind with their little paths and
rocky overlooks. The prettiest view into the valley is from the gallery of St. Václav’s Chapel or
from the Hradišťě Terraces, you see the Znojmo
Reservoir, and a fine technical monument, the
48-m-high and 220-m-long viaduct over the Dyje
valley dating from 1871. The best views of the entire town are found from the top of the town hall’s
80-meter-high tower – in good weather you can
n Chateau Vranov nad Dyjí.
n Plaque commemorating the re-opening of the
border between the CR and Austria in April, 1990,
and a view of Hardegg from the Hardegg overlok.
20
n The Pálava Hills
from the north.
see not only the Pálava Hills to the east, but the
Austrian Alps to the south as well. Znojmo’s biggest festival, during which the town reverts to the
era of King Jan of Luxembourg, is the annual wine
harvest in October, with a medieval procession
and crafts market.
6)You will find more information about the Iron Curtain Memorial in the village of Čížov on page 11.
Dolní Morava Biosphere Reserve
The Dolní Morava Biosphere Reserve lies in the
southernmost tip of the South Moravia region along
the borders with Austria and Slovakia, with an area
of 320 km².
Thanks to its natural and cultural wealth the Dolní
Morava represents a unique territory in the Czech Republic and all of Europe. There are few other places
where the relationship between people and nature
is in such symbiosis, producing a picturesque, cultivated countryside. On the other hand the alluvial
landscape so highly valued today was originally created in a large part by humans’ negative impact on
nature. The colonization of the highland watersheds
of the Dyje and Morava Rivers in medieval times resulted in major deforestation and extensive erosion.
Sediment was carried downstream and deposited in
the lowlands, creating new soil layers and changing the vegetation in the newly-created swampland,
floodplain forest, and the other elements of the ecosystem dependent on them. On the other hand it was
quite recently that both the upper and lower sections
of the Dyje were severely regulated (for example by
the construction of the Nové Mlyny Reservoir north
of the Pálava Hills. This restricted the regular spring
flooding of the area, and some localities were in danger of drying out. Controlled flooding was introduced
later to compensate.
The western part of the reserve is dominated by
the Pálava Hills, visible from afar across the surrounding flat countryside. They are capped by
white limestone cliffs that host dry-loving grasses,
bushes, and rock and forest steppes. To the east lies
the less-craggy plateau of the Milovice Forest, with
thermophilic hornbeam growth and Pannonian oakhornbeam woods; the forest and the Pálava Hills
together form the Pálava Protected Landscape Area.
The situation of the Pálava at the edge of two zoogeographic zones, Pannonian steppe and Central
European deciduous forest make the region quite
unique. It is one of the warmest and driest localities
in the CR, and is at the northern edge of distribution
of dozens of Southern European plant and animal
species (for example Blue Oat Grass, Large Flower
Sandwort, Ethiopian Sage, and Bush Cricket). Because of this the area is the most species-diverse
in all of the CR, with more than 200 species found
only here (for example Stipa eriocaulis or endemit,
and the most unique species – Dianthus lumnitzeri
palaviensis). And thanks to their caves, limestone
crevasses, and old trees, the Pálava Hills have one of
the richest bat populations in the CR.
21
n A sample of the
flookplain terrain
along the Dyje.
Pálava is also one of three bird areas in the Dolní
Morava reserve that are part of the Natura 2000
project. The species Hoopoe, Barred Warbler, Syrian
Woodpecker and Corn Bunting all have their largest
populations in the CR right here. Křivé Lake national
nature reserve near the Nové Mlyny dam is the beginning of a belt of floodplain forest along the Dyje
River that hosts a large colony of the Great Cormorant.
To the east of the Pálava Hills lies the Lednice-Valtice Area, tucked into the arc of the Dyje river turning
towards the southeast as far as the small chateau of
Lány south of Břeclav. Here, over the course of more
than six hundred years, the family Liechtenstein
built and composed a landscape that is regarded
today as the largest artificially-cultivated landscape in Europe. In a sense it is actually a nature
park interlaced with floodplain forests and alluvial
meadows along the Dyje River, its side channels and
oxbow lakes, its chateau parks with their classicist
follies from the 18th and 19th centuries. For these
reasons but also the Lednice-Valtice Area was added
to the UNESCO List of World Heritage sites in 1996.
The Lednice Fishponds in the area (part of the Natura 2000 system of bird areas, and a national nature reserve) are an important locality for Graylag
Goose, Spoonbill Duck, Red-crested Pochard, and
especially the Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), which has two -thirds of its entire
population in the CR nesting here.
n Upupa epops, or Hoopoe (above) and Iris humilis
Georgi subsp. arenaria. Foto archive CHKO Pálava.
20
n The Pálava Hills
from the north.
see not only the Pálava Hills to the east, but the
Austrian Alps to the south as well. Znojmo’s biggest festival, during which the town reverts to the
era of King Jan of Luxembourg, is the annual wine
harvest in October, with a medieval procession
and crafts market.
6)You will find more information about the Iron Curtain Memorial in the village of Čížov on page 11.
Dolní Morava Biosphere Reserve
The Dolní Morava Biosphere Reserve lies in the
southernmost tip of the South Moravia region along
the borders with Austria and Slovakia, with an area
of 320 km².
Thanks to its natural and cultural wealth the Dolní
Morava represents a unique territory in the Czech Republic and all of Europe. There are few other places
where the relationship between people and nature
is in such symbiosis, producing a picturesque, cultivated countryside. On the other hand the alluvial
landscape so highly valued today was originally created in a large part by humans’ negative impact on
nature. The colonization of the highland watersheds
of the Dyje and Morava Rivers in medieval times resulted in major deforestation and extensive erosion.
Sediment was carried downstream and deposited in
the lowlands, creating new soil layers and changing the vegetation in the newly-created swampland,
floodplain forest, and the other elements of the ecosystem dependent on them. On the other hand it was
quite recently that both the upper and lower sections
of the Dyje were severely regulated (for example by
the construction of the Nové Mlyny Reservoir north
of the Pálava Hills. This restricted the regular spring
flooding of the area, and some localities were in danger of drying out. Controlled flooding was introduced
later to compensate.
The western part of the reserve is dominated by
the Pálava Hills, visible from afar across the surrounding flat countryside. They are capped by
white limestone cliffs that host dry-loving grasses,
bushes, and rock and forest steppes. To the east lies
the less-craggy plateau of the Milovice Forest, with
thermophilic hornbeam growth and Pannonian oakhornbeam woods; the forest and the Pálava Hills
together form the Pálava Protected Landscape Area.
The situation of the Pálava at the edge of two zoogeographic zones, Pannonian steppe and Central
European deciduous forest make the region quite
unique. It is one of the warmest and driest localities
in the CR, and is at the northern edge of distribution
of dozens of Southern European plant and animal
species (for example Blue Oat Grass, Large Flower
Sandwort, Ethiopian Sage, and Bush Cricket). Because of this the area is the most species-diverse
in all of the CR, with more than 200 species found
only here (for example Stipa eriocaulis or endemit,
and the most unique species – Dianthus lumnitzeri
palaviensis). And thanks to their caves, limestone
crevasses, and old trees, the Pálava Hills have one of
the richest bat populations in the CR.
21
n A sample of the
flookplain terrain
along the Dyje.
Pálava is also one of three bird areas in the Dolní
Morava reserve that are part of the Natura 2000
project. The species Hoopoe, Barred Warbler, Syrian
Woodpecker and Corn Bunting all have their largest
populations in the CR right here. Křivé Lake national
nature reserve near the Nové Mlyny dam is the beginning of a belt of floodplain forest along the Dyje
River that hosts a large colony of the Great Cormorant.
To the east of the Pálava Hills lies the Lednice-Valtice Area, tucked into the arc of the Dyje river turning
towards the southeast as far as the small chateau of
Lány south of Břeclav. Here, over the course of more
than six hundred years, the family Liechtenstein
built and composed a landscape that is regarded
today as the largest artificially-cultivated landscape in Europe. In a sense it is actually a nature
park interlaced with floodplain forests and alluvial
meadows along the Dyje River, its side channels and
oxbow lakes, its chateau parks with their classicist
follies from the 18th and 19th centuries. For these
reasons but also the Lednice-Valtice Area was added
to the UNESCO List of World Heritage sites in 1996.
The Lednice Fishponds in the area (part of the Natura 2000 system of bird areas, and a national nature reserve) are an important locality for Graylag
Goose, Spoonbill Duck, Red-crested Pochard, and
especially the Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), which has two -thirds of its entire
population in the CR nesting here.
n Upupa epops, or Hoopoe (above) and Iris humilis
Georgi subsp. arenaria. Foto archive CHKO Pálava.
22
The remaining part of the Dolní Morava reserve lies
in the floodplain triangle south of Břeclav, bounded
by the Dyje River and the border with Austria on
the west, and the Morava River and the border with
Slovakia on the east. The territory is one big floodplain of these rivers and the smaller river Kyjovka,
which share a network of canals, old blind channels,
and the swamps between them. From an ecological
standpoint it is one of the most valuable, richest, and
most dynamically changing landscapes in the CR.
The entire area is basically uninhabited by man, but
there are plenty of animals, especially protected
ones. We find eleven species of amphibian (for example the Common Spadefoot Toad, Danube Crested
Newt, and Swedish Swamp Frog); of the mammals
there is a strong population of European Beaver and
permanent inhabitation by River Otter. The Soutok
reserve, which occupies practically the entire triangle, provides a home for many deer and boar as well.
The Soutok-Tvrdonice area is an important ornithological locality, and is part of the Natura 2000 system. At least 205 bird species have been observed
here, among them twelve different birds of prey,
including Red Kite and Brown Kite, White-tailed
Eagle, Saker Falcon, Honey Buzzard, and Eastern
Imperial Eagle, the rarest bird of prey nesting in the
CR. Especially on solitary dead oaks in the meadows
near Pohansko and Lány, the eye of the visitor may
be drawn by the number of large nests belonging to
the White stork and Grey Heron, in which you can
see busy activity throughout the season. Within the
floodplain vegetation, on the other hand, you can
observe several pairs of Black Stork, and in hollow trees Black Woodpecker, Stock Dover, Collared
Flycatcher, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Short-toed
Treecreeper, and Grey-Headed Woodpecker. The
lowland meadows are the home for large populations of Corn Crake. The unregulated sections of the
Dyje and Kyovka Rivers and their banks are a perfect
habitat for the Sand Martin, Little Ringed Plover,
Common Kingfisher, and Common Sandpiper.
n From August to November the mowed meadows of
the alluvial countryside south of Břeclav are scatted
with the very poisonous autumn crocus, or naked
lady (above). The skeletons of centuries-old oaks are
amost a symbol of Pohansko (below).
The Dolní Morava reserve offers wonderful opportunities for hiking outings where you can encounter
this area’s incredible natural and cultural wealth. A
number of hiking trails and instructional routes can
be found in the Pálava Hills as well as the LedniceValtice Area. The area of floodplain forest and meadows south of Pohansko has no marked trails, but the
former Iron Curtain signal roads can be used, and
n Improvised trail markings south of Pohansko will guide you along the signal road and a walking trail to
where the Morava and Dyje Rivers meet (below).
23
22
The remaining part of the Dolní Morava reserve lies
in the floodplain triangle south of Břeclav, bounded
by the Dyje River and the border with Austria on
the west, and the Morava River and the border with
Slovakia on the east. The territory is one big floodplain of these rivers and the smaller river Kyjovka,
which share a network of canals, old blind channels,
and the swamps between them. From an ecological
standpoint it is one of the most valuable, richest, and
most dynamically changing landscapes in the CR.
The entire area is basically uninhabited by man, but
there are plenty of animals, especially protected
ones. We find eleven species of amphibian (for example the Common Spadefoot Toad, Danube Crested
Newt, and Swedish Swamp Frog); of the mammals
there is a strong population of European Beaver and
permanent inhabitation by River Otter. The Soutok
reserve, which occupies practically the entire triangle, provides a home for many deer and boar as well.
The Soutok-Tvrdonice area is an important ornithological locality, and is part of the Natura 2000 system. At least 205 bird species have been observed
here, among them twelve different birds of prey,
including Red Kite and Brown Kite, White-tailed
Eagle, Saker Falcon, Honey Buzzard, and Eastern
Imperial Eagle, the rarest bird of prey nesting in the
CR. Especially on solitary dead oaks in the meadows
near Pohansko and Lány, the eye of the visitor may
be drawn by the number of large nests belonging to
the White stork and Grey Heron, in which you can
see busy activity throughout the season. Within the
floodplain vegetation, on the other hand, you can
observe several pairs of Black Stork, and in hollow trees Black Woodpecker, Stock Dover, Collared
Flycatcher, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Short-toed
Treecreeper, and Grey-Headed Woodpecker. The
lowland meadows are the home for large populations of Corn Crake. The unregulated sections of the
Dyje and Kyovka Rivers and their banks are a perfect
habitat for the Sand Martin, Little Ringed Plover,
Common Kingfisher, and Common Sandpiper.
n From August to November the mowed meadows of
the alluvial countryside south of Břeclav are scatted
with the very poisonous autumn crocus, or naked
lady (above). The skeletons of centuries-old oaks are
amost a symbol of Pohansko (below).
The Dolní Morava reserve offers wonderful opportunities for hiking outings where you can encounter
this area’s incredible natural and cultural wealth. A
number of hiking trails and instructional routes can
be found in the Pálava Hills as well as the LedniceValtice Area. The area of floodplain forest and meadows south of Pohansko has no marked trails, but the
former Iron Curtain signal roads can be used, and
n Improvised trail markings south of Pohansko will guide you along the signal road and a walking trail to
where the Morava and Dyje Rivers meet (below).
23
24
n Mikulov chateau
with the help of a map it’s easy to get all the way to
the confluence of the Dyje and Morava Rivers on the
Czech-Austrian-Slovak border, and from there find
a way back to civilization. The information centers
in Břeclav, Lednice, Mikulov, and Valtice will gladly
provide you with maps, guides, and further information about this region.
The Pálava Hills are best discovered along the fourteen-kilometer red hiking trail, which will take you
from Mikulov to Dolní Věstonice along the entire
Pálava ridge. This is a physically more demanding
day trip on which you will have to climb and descend
several hundred meters, but if you are game you will
not be disappointed. The rewards are magnificent
views out into the picturesque countryside, and the
enchanting steppe flora that bloom on the ridge’s
back. It is richest and most beautiful in the spring,
when it is in full bloom. Hundreds of purple and yellow Dwarf Irises, and dozens of scattered Phesant’s
Eye, Greater Pasque Flower, and Basket of Gold, or
Gold Alyssum. On the trail you may scare up a handsome Green Lizard. You can learn about the nature
and geology of the area on the Turold and Děvín instructional trails that tie into the red trial. Your outing to the Pálava will also be an excursion to longago history. You can visit the ruins of the gothic castles of Sirotčí hrádek and Dívčí hrady, marking the
n Valtice Chateau
25
panorama of the Pálava; you will go to places where
once stood Slavonic fortified settlements, Celtic
oppida, and where mammoth hunters lived in the
late Stone Age. The dust of their ancient village has
yielded a world-famous archeological artifact – the
Venus of Věstonice, dating to 29,000 – 25,000 B.C.
Besides the Pálava’s natural beauty and rich history,
the region is also known today for its wine culture.
The slopes of the Pálava Hills are lined with vineyard rows cultivated by local vintners for centuries,
producing excellent wines while at the same time
creating a unique cultured landscape. On the red
trail you will encounter some of these vineyards,
but if you want to devote some more time to wine
you should take the Mikulov Wine Trail, which connects Mikulov with the other winemaking village in
the area, with information panels to tell you about
the local wine tradition. Probably the loveliest wine
village that shouldn’t be missed is Pavlov, which is
also an urban monument reserve for its rural folk
architecture.
The town of Mikulov, at the southern tip of the
Pálava Hills, is the cultural center of this region,
and definitely deserves a visit. Its imposing Baroque
chateau provides the town its main feature. On the
historic town square you can admire several Renaissance town houses with figural sgraffito decoration
and arcades on the courtyard. Important monuments include the tomb of the Dietrichstein family
that ruled here from the 16th century until 1945.
After walking around the town center, make sure
to take the instructional trail to Mikulov’s Jewish
Quarter, where thirteen plaques will tell you something about the former ghetto district, which housed
the second-largest Jewish community in the Czech
lands after Prague. The best views of Mikulov are
offered by Kozí hrádek, the chateau, and the top of
the Holy Hill, which you can reach along the bluemarked trail along the Stations of the Cross. On the
hill and the nature reserve that surrounds it stands
the chapel of St. Sebastian, which can be seen from
far across the countryside. The amazing view and
pure magic of this place will compel you to stand for
a time in wonder.
After the Pálava Hills the Lednice-Valtice Area offers more relaxed trails with minimal elevation
changes. Probably the only uphill climb you’ll have
to make is the walk up to the colonnade Reistna Hill
overlooking Valtice, from which you can see the
n Former signal road leading up the Reistna (above),
and the view of the Pálava Hills from the instructional
wine trail.
entire Lednice-Valtice area, the Pálava, and far into
Austria. During the Cold War an observation point
was set up here by the border guards from which
they had the whole area under surveillance.
From the Reistna you can see the many hectares of
vineyard surrounding Valtice, once the main residence of the Liechtenstien family, today the “wine
capital” of the Czech Republic. If you’d like to learn
something about the local wine tradition you can
24
n Mikulov chateau
with the help of a map it’s easy to get all the way to
the confluence of the Dyje and Morava Rivers on the
Czech-Austrian-Slovak border, and from there find
a way back to civilization. The information centers
in Břeclav, Lednice, Mikulov, and Valtice will gladly
provide you with maps, guides, and further information about this region.
The Pálava Hills are best discovered along the fourteen-kilometer red hiking trail, which will take you
from Mikulov to Dolní Věstonice along the entire
Pálava ridge. This is a physically more demanding
day trip on which you will have to climb and descend
several hundred meters, but if you are game you will
not be disappointed. The rewards are magnificent
views out into the picturesque countryside, and the
enchanting steppe flora that bloom on the ridge’s
back. It is richest and most beautiful in the spring,
when it is in full bloom. Hundreds of purple and yellow Dwarf Irises, and dozens of scattered Phesant’s
Eye, Greater Pasque Flower, and Basket of Gold, or
Gold Alyssum. On the trail you may scare up a handsome Green Lizard. You can learn about the nature
and geology of the area on the Turold and Děvín instructional trails that tie into the red trial. Your outing to the Pálava will also be an excursion to longago history. You can visit the ruins of the gothic castles of Sirotčí hrádek and Dívčí hrady, marking the
n Valtice Chateau
25
panorama of the Pálava; you will go to places where
once stood Slavonic fortified settlements, Celtic
oppida, and where mammoth hunters lived in the
late Stone Age. The dust of their ancient village has
yielded a world-famous archeological artifact – the
Venus of Věstonice, dating to 29,000 – 25,000 B.C.
Besides the Pálava’s natural beauty and rich history,
the region is also known today for its wine culture.
The slopes of the Pálava Hills are lined with vineyard rows cultivated by local vintners for centuries,
producing excellent wines while at the same time
creating a unique cultured landscape. On the red
trail you will encounter some of these vineyards,
but if you want to devote some more time to wine
you should take the Mikulov Wine Trail, which connects Mikulov with the other winemaking village in
the area, with information panels to tell you about
the local wine tradition. Probably the loveliest wine
village that shouldn’t be missed is Pavlov, which is
also an urban monument reserve for its rural folk
architecture.
The town of Mikulov, at the southern tip of the
Pálava Hills, is the cultural center of this region,
and definitely deserves a visit. Its imposing Baroque
chateau provides the town its main feature. On the
historic town square you can admire several Renaissance town houses with figural sgraffito decoration
and arcades on the courtyard. Important monuments include the tomb of the Dietrichstein family
that ruled here from the 16th century until 1945.
After walking around the town center, make sure
to take the instructional trail to Mikulov’s Jewish
Quarter, where thirteen plaques will tell you something about the former ghetto district, which housed
the second-largest Jewish community in the Czech
lands after Prague. The best views of Mikulov are
offered by Kozí hrádek, the chateau, and the top of
the Holy Hill, which you can reach along the bluemarked trail along the Stations of the Cross. On the
hill and the nature reserve that surrounds it stands
the chapel of St. Sebastian, which can be seen from
far across the countryside. The amazing view and
pure magic of this place will compel you to stand for
a time in wonder.
After the Pálava Hills the Lednice-Valtice Area offers more relaxed trails with minimal elevation
changes. Probably the only uphill climb you’ll have
to make is the walk up to the colonnade Reistna Hill
overlooking Valtice, from which you can see the
n Former signal road leading up the Reistna (above),
and the view of the Pálava Hills from the instructional
wine trail.
entire Lednice-Valtice area, the Pálava, and far into
Austria. During the Cold War an observation point
was set up here by the border guards from which
they had the whole area under surveillance.
From the Reistna you can see the many hectares of
vineyard surrounding Valtice, once the main residence of the Liechtenstien family, today the “wine
capital” of the Czech Republic. If you’d like to learn
something about the local wine tradition you can
26
27
EuroVelo 13
By bicycle along the Iron Curtain Trail
n Reistna colonnade (left). Pohansko also features several well-restored bunkers from the Czechoslovak border
fortifications of 1936–1938.
combine a climb up the Reistna with the 5-km-long
Valtice Instructional Wine Trail, which starts on the
town square and takes you through the local vineyards past 19 information panels (and along a section of the Iron Curtain signal road as well). You can
end up back at Valtice’s Baroque chateau, richly
decorated with sculptures and ceiling paintings. In
the chateau cellar you will find the Wine Salon of
the Czech Republic including full wine tasting facilities; the cellar provides you the unique opportunity
to taste some of the one hundred best wines from
Moravia and Bohemia. Each year the wines are chosen by the National Wine Competition, and it’s a sure
thing that some of the wines will be from Valtice.
For relaxation and inspiration you can walk down
behind the chateau to the Tiree Chmelar Herb Garden, a nature garden that is a model for sustainable
gardening.
Our destination is the chateau, in the style of English Gothic, its interiors decorated with exquisite
cassette ceilings. Next to the chateau stretches the
oldest palm greenhouse in Europe containing exotic
plants from all over the world, and a magnificent
chateau park. In the park you can take a boat ride, or
climb the 60-meter-tall Minaret, offering a fantastic
view of the area; on the other side of the park is the
romantic artificial ruin called Jan’s Castle.
Between Valtice and Lednice you can choose from a
combination of three marked walking trails that will
take you past the most popular Romantic follies in
the Lednice-Valtice Area, which date from the time
of the Liechtensteins: the triumphal arch known as
the Rendez-vous, the chapel of St. Hubert, the Temple of the Three Graces, the Border Chateau, Pond
Chateau, and Apollo’s Temple. The 11-km-long Lednice Fishponds instructional trail takes you around
three of the four Lednice ponds until you get to the
Lednice chateau park; on the way eight information
panels tell you about the local flora, fauna, history,
and architecture.
Last but not least, you can continue south from
Břeclav to Pohansko, where in the 9th century there
was an important fortified settlement of the Great
Moravian Empire, and where today stands another
romantic structure left by the Liechtensteins, the
Pohansko lodge. In the Soutok game reserve the
route is joined by the Pohansko instructional trail,
with five infopanels telling you more about the finds
at this important archaeological locality.
The Niva Dyje (Dyje Lowlands) nature reserve between Lednice and Břeclav is best seen via the
green-marked trail that leads from Janův Hrad
(Jan’s Castle) and corresponds with the Lužní les
(Floodplain Forests) instructional trail with fifteen
information panels about the water regime in the
floodplain forest, flood control measures, and the
areas plant and animal life.
The EuroVelo 13 cycling routes, also called the Iron
Curtain Trail, is part of an emerging pan-European
network EuroVelo. When it is finished the route will
copy the line of the former Iron Curtain, which during the Cold War divided Europe into Eastern and
Western blocs. With a length of 9,500 km, it leads
from the Barents Sea on the Norway-Russia border
to the border between Bulgaria and Turkey on the
Black Sea, crossing 20 countries. In the Czech Republic it is planned to lead along 491 km of border
and connect the border areas of the CR and Bavaria,
and Upper and Lower Austria.
The goal of the EuroVelo project, which is coordinated by the European Cycling Federation, represented
in the CR by the Partnership Foundation, is to link
together a backbone network of cycling routes and
thus support cycling as an instrument for spending free time and an everyday means of traveling
to work, school, entertainment, or shopping. At the
same time the project supports sustainable tourism
and regional development, environmental protection, improve the health of the population, and cultural exchange as well.
At present there are 14 EuroVelo long-distance bicycle routes that are being constructed on existing
or planned national bicycle routes of the individual
states according to the unified criteria of the European Cycling Federation.
In the CR the main coordinator of EuroVelo 13 is
the Partnership Foundation, working with all of the
important partners from the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria.
EuroVelo 13 in South Moravia
and Lower Austria
Compared to the rest of the EuroVelo 13 route along
the Czech border with Germany west of the town of
Aš, this part offers less demanding segments that
even casual bikers can handle. Most of the trails
lead along less-frequented communications, forest trails, and the former signal road, which provide
sufficiently safe and comfortable surfaces.
n Map of EuroVelo
13 (above) and
example of Czech
national bicycle
route signage
(left), to which the
EuroVelo 13 logo
will be added in
2013.
26
27
EuroVelo 13
By bicycle along the Iron Curtain Trail
n Reistna colonnade (left). Pohansko also features several well-restored bunkers from the Czechoslovak border
fortifications of 1936–1938.
combine a climb up the Reistna with the 5-km-long
Valtice Instructional Wine Trail, which starts on the
town square and takes you through the local vineyards past 19 information panels (and along a section of the Iron Curtain signal road as well). You can
end up back at Valtice’s Baroque chateau, richly
decorated with sculptures and ceiling paintings. In
the chateau cellar you will find the Wine Salon of
the Czech Republic including full wine tasting facilities; the cellar provides you the unique opportunity
to taste some of the one hundred best wines from
Moravia and Bohemia. Each year the wines are chosen by the National Wine Competition, and it’s a sure
thing that some of the wines will be from Valtice.
For relaxation and inspiration you can walk down
behind the chateau to the Tiree Chmelar Herb Garden, a nature garden that is a model for sustainable
gardening.
Our destination is the chateau, in the style of English Gothic, its interiors decorated with exquisite
cassette ceilings. Next to the chateau stretches the
oldest palm greenhouse in Europe containing exotic
plants from all over the world, and a magnificent
chateau park. In the park you can take a boat ride, or
climb the 60-meter-tall Minaret, offering a fantastic
view of the area; on the other side of the park is the
romantic artificial ruin called Jan’s Castle.
Between Valtice and Lednice you can choose from a
combination of three marked walking trails that will
take you past the most popular Romantic follies in
the Lednice-Valtice Area, which date from the time
of the Liechtensteins: the triumphal arch known as
the Rendez-vous, the chapel of St. Hubert, the Temple of the Three Graces, the Border Chateau, Pond
Chateau, and Apollo’s Temple. The 11-km-long Lednice Fishponds instructional trail takes you around
three of the four Lednice ponds until you get to the
Lednice chateau park; on the way eight information
panels tell you about the local flora, fauna, history,
and architecture.
Last but not least, you can continue south from
Břeclav to Pohansko, where in the 9th century there
was an important fortified settlement of the Great
Moravian Empire, and where today stands another
romantic structure left by the Liechtensteins, the
Pohansko lodge. In the Soutok game reserve the
route is joined by the Pohansko instructional trail,
with five infopanels telling you more about the finds
at this important archaeological locality.
The Niva Dyje (Dyje Lowlands) nature reserve between Lednice and Břeclav is best seen via the
green-marked trail that leads from Janův Hrad
(Jan’s Castle) and corresponds with the Lužní les
(Floodplain Forests) instructional trail with fifteen
information panels about the water regime in the
floodplain forest, flood control measures, and the
areas plant and animal life.
The EuroVelo 13 cycling routes, also called the Iron
Curtain Trail, is part of an emerging pan-European
network EuroVelo. When it is finished the route will
copy the line of the former Iron Curtain, which during the Cold War divided Europe into Eastern and
Western blocs. With a length of 9,500 km, it leads
from the Barents Sea on the Norway-Russia border
to the border between Bulgaria and Turkey on the
Black Sea, crossing 20 countries. In the Czech Republic it is planned to lead along 491 km of border
and connect the border areas of the CR and Bavaria,
and Upper and Lower Austria.
The goal of the EuroVelo project, which is coordinated by the European Cycling Federation, represented
in the CR by the Partnership Foundation, is to link
together a backbone network of cycling routes and
thus support cycling as an instrument for spending free time and an everyday means of traveling
to work, school, entertainment, or shopping. At the
same time the project supports sustainable tourism
and regional development, environmental protection, improve the health of the population, and cultural exchange as well.
At present there are 14 EuroVelo long-distance bicycle routes that are being constructed on existing
or planned national bicycle routes of the individual
states according to the unified criteria of the European Cycling Federation.
In the CR the main coordinator of EuroVelo 13 is
the Partnership Foundation, working with all of the
important partners from the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria.
EuroVelo 13 in South Moravia
and Lower Austria
Compared to the rest of the EuroVelo 13 route along
the Czech border with Germany west of the town of
Aš, this part offers less demanding segments that
even casual bikers can handle. Most of the trails
lead along less-frequented communications, forest trails, and the former signal road, which provide
sufficiently safe and comfortable surfaces.
n Map of EuroVelo
13 (above) and
example of Czech
national bicycle
route signage
(left), to which the
EuroVelo 13 logo
will be added in
2013.
28
29
n Čížov
In planning your outing, make use of the map segments at the end of this guide; there you will find
the routes marked by a bold purple line and the
EuroVelo 13 logo. On them you will find many other
bicycle routes that either cross EuroVelo 13 or run
concurrently with it for awhile. Especially the backbone route of Greenways Prague-Vienna, the Moravian Wine Trail, the Wienviertl Wine Trail, Liechtenstein Trail, the Brno-Vienna Bicycle Trail, EuroVelo
9, the Kamp-Thaya-March trail, Greenway Vranovsko, and Greenway Region of the Renaissance are all
very inviting and can hold you in the region a good
bit longer]. It’s up to you whether you’ll choose to
explore the EuroVelo 13 by itself or combine it with
a longer-term visit to the region and make some detours outside the corridor. This guidebook is not big
enough to tell you about all the trails, but in case of
interest do refer to the list of recommended links in
the back.
n The green and whilte logo of a smiling bike is the
logo of Cyclists Welcome in the CR.
n Rest stop at Vratěnín
(above right) and
the fields outside of
Vratěnín where the
spiritual legacy and
the legacy of the 2nd
World War stand
almost side by side.
If you are looking for restaurants, hotels, pensions,
campgrounds, or other tourist destinations that
are bike-friendly, choose those that have the Cyclists Welcome certificate. You can find an overview
of certified places in the Czech Republic at www.
cyklistevitani.cz. You’ll find similar businesses and
services on the Austrian side at www.radviertel.at
or www.weinviertel.at.
Recommended segments
on EuroVelo 13
Drosendorf – Vratěnín – Uherčice – Hardegg
(40 km)
EuroVelo 13 enters South Moravia from the west
through the border crossing at the village of
Vratěnín, coming from the medieval village of Dro-
n The EV13 route intersects with the Liechtenstein Trail
and the Moravian Wine Trail.
sendorf in Austria. Just over the border, by the pond,
is a nice place to sit down and relax by the Greenways
Vranovsko and Greenways Region of Renaissance information panels. On the way towards Uherčice, in
the fields beyond the roadside crosses and statues
of the saints, you will notice the concrete bunkers
built in 1936–1938 as part of the Czechoslovak fortification system prior to World War II. After passing
through Uherčice you descend through the woods to
the deep valley of the Dyje River, then climb up again
to the picturesque hamlet of Stálky. From there until the village of Felling in Austria you ride through
mildly rolling, sparsely inhabited countryside. Outside the village of Šatov with its beautiful ponds and
after crossing again into Austria, the flooded quarry
of Bergwerkssee offers an excellent swimming opportunity. After Felling, you enter the forest bastions of Thayatal National Park, and begin a sharp
descent into the Dyje valley and the village of Hardegg with its excellent castle. Don’t miss the park’s
modern visitors’ center, though you must climb to
the edge of the forest by the road to Merkersdorf.
Afterward, cross bridge over the Dyje River and into
Drosendorf, the region’s tourist hub, has a lovely
historic center surrounded by the longest (2 km)
surviving medieval walls in Austria. This town on
the Dyje is an oasis for people looking for a quiet
vacation. It offers a wide range of tourist accommodation and food services.
Vratěnín, Village of the Year CR for 1996, is an urban
monument zone featuring 24 cultural monuments,
and its intimate village commons, the fishpond and
the old post office (now the town hall) are complemented by a number of wooden statues from recent
sculpture workshops.
Uherčice features a very large Renaissance chateau dating to the 16th century, with fine stucco and
painted decoration, which suffered much damage
28
29
n Čížov
In planning your outing, make use of the map segments at the end of this guide; there you will find
the routes marked by a bold purple line and the
EuroVelo 13 logo. On them you will find many other
bicycle routes that either cross EuroVelo 13 or run
concurrently with it for awhile. Especially the backbone route of Greenways Prague-Vienna, the Moravian Wine Trail, the Wienviertl Wine Trail, Liechtenstein Trail, the Brno-Vienna Bicycle Trail, EuroVelo
9, the Kamp-Thaya-March trail, Greenway Vranovsko, and Greenway Region of the Renaissance are all
very inviting and can hold you in the region a good
bit longer]. It’s up to you whether you’ll choose to
explore the EuroVelo 13 by itself or combine it with
a longer-term visit to the region and make some detours outside the corridor. This guidebook is not big
enough to tell you about all the trails, but in case of
interest do refer to the list of recommended links in
the back.
n The green and whilte logo of a smiling bike is the
logo of Cyclists Welcome in the CR.
n Rest stop at Vratěnín
(above right) and
the fields outside of
Vratěnín where the
spiritual legacy and
the legacy of the 2nd
World War stand
almost side by side.
If you are looking for restaurants, hotels, pensions,
campgrounds, or other tourist destinations that
are bike-friendly, choose those that have the Cyclists Welcome certificate. You can find an overview
of certified places in the Czech Republic at www.
cyklistevitani.cz. You’ll find similar businesses and
services on the Austrian side at www.radviertel.at
or www.weinviertel.at.
Recommended segments
on EuroVelo 13
Drosendorf – Vratěnín – Uherčice – Hardegg
(40 km)
EuroVelo 13 enters South Moravia from the west
through the border crossing at the village of
Vratěnín, coming from the medieval village of Dro-
n The EV13 route intersects with the Liechtenstein Trail
and the Moravian Wine Trail.
sendorf in Austria. Just over the border, by the pond,
is a nice place to sit down and relax by the Greenways
Vranovsko and Greenways Region of Renaissance information panels. On the way towards Uherčice, in
the fields beyond the roadside crosses and statues
of the saints, you will notice the concrete bunkers
built in 1936–1938 as part of the Czechoslovak fortification system prior to World War II. After passing
through Uherčice you descend through the woods to
the deep valley of the Dyje River, then climb up again
to the picturesque hamlet of Stálky. From there until the village of Felling in Austria you ride through
mildly rolling, sparsely inhabited countryside. Outside the village of Šatov with its beautiful ponds and
after crossing again into Austria, the flooded quarry
of Bergwerkssee offers an excellent swimming opportunity. After Felling, you enter the forest bastions of Thayatal National Park, and begin a sharp
descent into the Dyje valley and the village of Hardegg with its excellent castle. Don’t miss the park’s
modern visitors’ center, though you must climb to
the edge of the forest by the road to Merkersdorf.
Afterward, cross bridge over the Dyje River and into
Drosendorf, the region’s tourist hub, has a lovely
historic center surrounded by the longest (2 km)
surviving medieval walls in Austria. This town on
the Dyje is an oasis for people looking for a quiet
vacation. It offers a wide range of tourist accommodation and food services.
Vratěnín, Village of the Year CR for 1996, is an urban
monument zone featuring 24 cultural monuments,
and its intimate village commons, the fishpond and
the old post office (now the town hall) are complemented by a number of wooden statues from recent
sculpture workshops.
Uherčice features a very large Renaissance chateau dating to the 16th century, with fine stucco and
painted decoration, which suffered much damage
30
n Painted Cellar in
Šatov
n Uherčice chateau
n Vratěnín
under socialism (it was used by a cooperative farm
and by the army). Extensive renovation has been
going on since 1996, and the monument is slowly
coming back to life. Its grounds include gardens, an
English park, and an artificial castle ruins.
Langau, graced by a Baroque statue of St. Jan of
Nepomuck, offers refreshments and services on
the banks of the Bergwerksee, and an info-trail on
beekeeping.
The main attraction of Riegersburg is its 18th-century chateau with Baroque, Rococo, and Classicist
interiors, and a perfectly-preserved kitchen with
equipment still in functioning order.
Founded in 1911 in the village of Felling, the family firm Mettejka that processes mother-of-pearl is
the only one of its kind left in Austria. Visitors can
watch how seashells and snail shells are made into
mother-of-pearl buttons and jewelry, and learn
something about the history of this historic craft,
which once used mussels from the Dyje and Morava
Rivers (recently replaced by shells from the sea).
Hardegg, the smallest town in Austria, has a wonderful medieval castle, and the visitors' center for
the Thayatal National Park is also a tourist center
with accommodation and food services.
More information on Hardegg, Thayatal National
Park, and Podyjí National Park can be found at
www.np-thayatal.at a www.nppodyji.cz.
Hardegg – Znojmo – Šatov (43 km)
After the border bridge at Hardegg you climb steeply until the edge of the woods, and from there it’s
just a few rolling ups and downs more to Čížov. On
n Čížov
the way be sure and stop at the Hardegg Overlook,
where you will be rewarded with an outstanding
view of Hardegg from above on the Moravian side.
In Čižov you must stop at the Iron Curtain monument. After riding down to the Čížov fishpond the
asphalt road gives way to a forest trail, connecting
to the former signal road, that will take you most
of the way to Podmolí. After a short excursion outside the park you reenter the woods after Mašovice,
where a forest trail will take you to the Králův stolec
overlook into the Dyje River valley, and the Znojmo
reservoir. There is another very pretty view (of the
valley, reservoir, and the town of Znojmo) from the
Hradišťé Terraces. Along the Gránický creek or a
smaller detour through Znojmo’s historic center
n Wine cellars in Šatov
n The segment between Popice and Havraníky offers some excellent resting spots.
31
30
n Painted Cellar in
Šatov
n Uherčice chateau
n Vratěnín
under socialism (it was used by a cooperative farm
and by the army). Extensive renovation has been
going on since 1996, and the monument is slowly
coming back to life. Its grounds include gardens, an
English park, and an artificial castle ruins.
Langau, graced by a Baroque statue of St. Jan of
Nepomuck, offers refreshments and services on
the banks of the Bergwerksee, and an info-trail on
beekeeping.
The main attraction of Riegersburg is its 18th-century chateau with Baroque, Rococo, and Classicist
interiors, and a perfectly-preserved kitchen with
equipment still in functioning order.
Founded in 1911 in the village of Felling, the family firm Mettejka that processes mother-of-pearl is
the only one of its kind left in Austria. Visitors can
watch how seashells and snail shells are made into
mother-of-pearl buttons and jewelry, and learn
something about the history of this historic craft,
which once used mussels from the Dyje and Morava
Rivers (recently replaced by shells from the sea).
Hardegg, the smallest town in Austria, has a wonderful medieval castle, and the visitors' center for
the Thayatal National Park is also a tourist center
with accommodation and food services.
More information on Hardegg, Thayatal National
Park, and Podyjí National Park can be found at
www.np-thayatal.at a www.nppodyji.cz.
Hardegg – Znojmo – Šatov (43 km)
After the border bridge at Hardegg you climb steeply until the edge of the woods, and from there it’s
just a few rolling ups and downs more to Čížov. On
n Čížov
the way be sure and stop at the Hardegg Overlook,
where you will be rewarded with an outstanding
view of Hardegg from above on the Moravian side.
In Čižov you must stop at the Iron Curtain monument. After riding down to the Čížov fishpond the
asphalt road gives way to a forest trail, connecting
to the former signal road, that will take you most
of the way to Podmolí. After a short excursion outside the park you reenter the woods after Mašovice,
where a forest trail will take you to the Králův stolec
overlook into the Dyje River valley, and the Znojmo
reservoir. There is another very pretty view (of the
valley, reservoir, and the town of Znojmo) from the
Hradišťé Terraces. Along the Gránický creek or a
smaller detour through Znojmo’s historic center
n Wine cellars in Šatov
n The segment between Popice and Havraníky offers some excellent resting spots.
31
32
n Jaroslavice chateau
you head down into the bottom of the valley, where
crossing a bridge you come to the other side and
climb through the garden colonies and heaths on
Kraví hora. From there take one last look back and
enjoy the panoramic view of historic Znojmo. After this comes a beautiful section through Konice
and Popice to Havraníky, with the Podyjí upon your
right and long views into the wine country on your
left. The route is lined with vineyards, as well as
crosses and roadside shrines that complement the
little village chapels. Outside of Havraníky we say a
final goodbye to the Podyjí and enter Šatov, the last
stop before the Austrian border.
The hamlet of Šatov is known for its wine cellar
street with many very old cellars dug into the sandstone slope. The most famous of them, the Painted
Cellar (Malovaný sklep), has walls decorated with
painted reliefs done between 1934 and 1968 by folk
artist Maxmillián Appeltauer, who worked by candlelight alone. You can arrange a tour by appointment even outside the main season. For information on another Šatov attraction, the Museum of the
Czechoslovak Fortifications go to page 11.
More information on the Podyjí National Park and
the Iron Curtain Memorial in Čížov and the town of
Znojmo at on pages 14, 11 and 19.
Šatov – Retz – Pulkautal – Jaroslavice – Laa
an der Thaya (55 km)
Our next segment will be in search of wine, a ride
among the vineyards, through several winemaking
villages, watching vintners at their work and generally imbibing the pleasant vineyard atmosphere.
The region of Lower Austria known as the Weinviertel, and of course South Moravia on the Czech side,
are strongly linked by their viticulture tradition,
which over the centuries has given the countryside
a unique character, architecture, culture, and local
traditions passed down from generation to generation. The picturesque rolling countryside is adorned
by endless vineyard rows, which employ many local residents the year round in cultivating the grape
vine as a source of income, entertainment, and
purpose in life. The wine villages with their pretty
churches are identifiable by their wonderful wine
cellar streets, villages where to this day each winemaking family owns at least one cellar.
33
tourist attractions. On a hill above the town stands
Austria’s only operational historic windmill, from
which there is a beautiful view far into the distant
landscape.
After a short up and down stretch to the town of
Retz, which is the region’s other winemaking center
after Znojmo, you will enter the flat, easy-to-bike
valley of the Pulkautal, taking you to the village of
Hadres. Each wine village from the border to this
point will have offered lovely wine cellar streets,
but the one in Hadres is interesting not only for its
beauty, but for its length – it’s supposedly the longest wine cellar street in Europe. From the village
of Seefeld-Kadolz with its Baroque chateau, we hop
over the border to Jaroslavice. Its massive chateau,
originally built in Renaissance, later redone in
Baroque and Classicism, is still in deplorable
condition. Behind the village lie the Jaroslavice
fishponds, one of the largest bodies of water in
Moravia, and a Natura 2000 bird area. They host a
large nesting colony of the Black-crowned Night
Heron. You can sit on the dike and rest for a bit,
or read about the birds on the information panel.
Between Dyjákovice and Hevlín the EuroVelo 13
route leads mostly along the former signal road.
The historic town of Retz, founded in 1279, has been
for centuries the center of this winemaking region,
and is now a popular tourist destination. The wealth
that flowed from wine in the middle ages is seen in
the magnificent Renaissance buildings on the main
square. Beneath them is a wine cellar 21 m long and
up to 30 m deep underground, the largest historic
wine cellar in Central Europe, which 500 years ago
could store the harvest from the entire surrounding
area. Today the Retz underground is one of its best
n Weinviertel Lower Austria
n Swans, the inhabitants of the Jaroslavice ponds
32
n Jaroslavice chateau
you head down into the bottom of the valley, where
crossing a bridge you come to the other side and
climb through the garden colonies and heaths on
Kraví hora. From there take one last look back and
enjoy the panoramic view of historic Znojmo. After this comes a beautiful section through Konice
and Popice to Havraníky, with the Podyjí upon your
right and long views into the wine country on your
left. The route is lined with vineyards, as well as
crosses and roadside shrines that complement the
little village chapels. Outside of Havraníky we say a
final goodbye to the Podyjí and enter Šatov, the last
stop before the Austrian border.
The hamlet of Šatov is known for its wine cellar
street with many very old cellars dug into the sandstone slope. The most famous of them, the Painted
Cellar (Malovaný sklep), has walls decorated with
painted reliefs done between 1934 and 1968 by folk
artist Maxmillián Appeltauer, who worked by candlelight alone. You can arrange a tour by appointment even outside the main season. For information on another Šatov attraction, the Museum of the
Czechoslovak Fortifications go to page 11.
More information on the Podyjí National Park and
the Iron Curtain Memorial in Čížov and the town of
Znojmo at on pages 14, 11 and 19.
Šatov – Retz – Pulkautal – Jaroslavice – Laa
an der Thaya (55 km)
Our next segment will be in search of wine, a ride
among the vineyards, through several winemaking
villages, watching vintners at their work and generally imbibing the pleasant vineyard atmosphere.
The region of Lower Austria known as the Weinviertel, and of course South Moravia on the Czech side,
are strongly linked by their viticulture tradition,
which over the centuries has given the countryside
a unique character, architecture, culture, and local
traditions passed down from generation to generation. The picturesque rolling countryside is adorned
by endless vineyard rows, which employ many local residents the year round in cultivating the grape
vine as a source of income, entertainment, and
purpose in life. The wine villages with their pretty
churches are identifiable by their wonderful wine
cellar streets, villages where to this day each winemaking family owns at least one cellar.
33
tourist attractions. On a hill above the town stands
Austria’s only operational historic windmill, from
which there is a beautiful view far into the distant
landscape.
After a short up and down stretch to the town of
Retz, which is the region’s other winemaking center
after Znojmo, you will enter the flat, easy-to-bike
valley of the Pulkautal, taking you to the village of
Hadres. Each wine village from the border to this
point will have offered lovely wine cellar streets,
but the one in Hadres is interesting not only for its
beauty, but for its length – it’s supposedly the longest wine cellar street in Europe. From the village
of Seefeld-Kadolz with its Baroque chateau, we hop
over the border to Jaroslavice. Its massive chateau,
originally built in Renaissance, later redone in
Baroque and Classicism, is still in deplorable
condition. Behind the village lie the Jaroslavice
fishponds, one of the largest bodies of water in
Moravia, and a Natura 2000 bird area. They host a
large nesting colony of the Black-crowned Night
Heron. You can sit on the dike and rest for a bit,
or read about the birds on the information panel.
Between Dyjákovice and Hevlín the EuroVelo 13
route leads mostly along the former signal road.
The historic town of Retz, founded in 1279, has been
for centuries the center of this winemaking region,
and is now a popular tourist destination. The wealth
that flowed from wine in the middle ages is seen in
the magnificent Renaissance buildings on the main
square. Beneath them is a wine cellar 21 m long and
up to 30 m deep underground, the largest historic
wine cellar in Central Europe, which 500 years ago
could store the harvest from the entire surrounding
area. Today the Retz underground is one of its best
n Weinviertel Lower Austria
n Swans, the inhabitants of the Jaroslavice ponds
34
35
n View of the Pálava before Úvaly
Laa an der Thaya – Mikulov – Poštorná/Břeclav
(51 km)
From the town of Laa an der Thaya, where you
can enjoy luxury relaxation at its thermal spa and
swimming area, or admire its historic center by the
Water Trail, you will have a flatter section across
the farm country on asphalt or dirt service roads.
Along them the fields are lined with lovely rows of
trees that divide the land into a checkerboard. After the village of Wildendürnbach the route crosses
the Galgenberg Hill, with one of the most beautiful
cellar streets and vineyards in all of Austria. The
traditional wine cellars here are built several floors
high, which only enhances the magical sight of the
peak. If you don’t mind climbing another couple of
meters, go up there. On any given day during the
season you can find at least one open cellar and a
vintner willing to invite you in for a chat. From the
cellar streets and even better from the top of the
Galgenberg you can get a wonderful view over the
countryside. To the northeast you see the Pálava
Hills and Mikulov chateau, a further destination
on your ride. But on the way to Mikulov you will
want to stop at the border, where there is the most
beautiful rest stop in South Moravia. It is built to
resemble a wine press, and at the same time a sun
dial, and offers an excellent spot for sitting down,
with a nice view of Mikulov castle. On the way from
Mikulov to Úvaly you travel down the old signal
n Reistna, Valtice
n Cyclists on the Galgenberg
road, corresponding with the Iron Curtain Trail on
the first part. From the signal road outside Úvaly
there is an excellent view back towards the Pálava
and Mikulov. The view is repeated on the border
above Valtice, this time overlooking the vineyard
tracts that surround Úvaly and Valtice. Don’t miss
the Museum of the Iron Curtain, located in the former border post. From the signal road above Valtice you get a wonderful view of the Lednice-Valtice
Area and the beginning of the Carpathians in the
distance to the east. The South Moravian part of
EuroVelo 13 ends at the Poštorná – Reinthal border
crossing.
If you want to ride further along the former Iron
Curtain, you can remain on the Moravian side of
the border and set out along the main Greenway
Prague-Vienna route, which copies exactly the
former signal road in this area. This flat segment
between the fields (except for the Přerov Hill) has
a good asphalt surface. If we are lucky and catch
the prevailing western breeze at our backs we can
really start clipping along. There are nice stops
on this section at the village of Jevišovka, which
has a lovely stork rest and the ecofarm Jáňův dvůr
in Nový Přerov.
n Rest stop on the border with a view of Mikulov
n Pumpkin field between Jaroslavice and Hrádek
34
35
n View of the Pálava before Úvaly
Laa an der Thaya – Mikulov – Poštorná/Břeclav
(51 km)
From the town of Laa an der Thaya, where you
can enjoy luxury relaxation at its thermal spa and
swimming area, or admire its historic center by the
Water Trail, you will have a flatter section across
the farm country on asphalt or dirt service roads.
Along them the fields are lined with lovely rows of
trees that divide the land into a checkerboard. After the village of Wildendürnbach the route crosses
the Galgenberg Hill, with one of the most beautiful
cellar streets and vineyards in all of Austria. The
traditional wine cellars here are built several floors
high, which only enhances the magical sight of the
peak. If you don’t mind climbing another couple of
meters, go up there. On any given day during the
season you can find at least one open cellar and a
vintner willing to invite you in for a chat. From the
cellar streets and even better from the top of the
Galgenberg you can get a wonderful view over the
countryside. To the northeast you see the Pálava
Hills and Mikulov chateau, a further destination
on your ride. But on the way to Mikulov you will
want to stop at the border, where there is the most
beautiful rest stop in South Moravia. It is built to
resemble a wine press, and at the same time a sun
dial, and offers an excellent spot for sitting down,
with a nice view of Mikulov castle. On the way from
Mikulov to Úvaly you travel down the old signal
n Reistna, Valtice
n Cyclists on the Galgenberg
road, corresponding with the Iron Curtain Trail on
the first part. From the signal road outside Úvaly
there is an excellent view back towards the Pálava
and Mikulov. The view is repeated on the border
above Valtice, this time overlooking the vineyard
tracts that surround Úvaly and Valtice. Don’t miss
the Museum of the Iron Curtain, located in the former border post. From the signal road above Valtice you get a wonderful view of the Lednice-Valtice
Area and the beginning of the Carpathians in the
distance to the east. The South Moravian part of
EuroVelo 13 ends at the Poštorná – Reinthal border
crossing.
If you want to ride further along the former Iron
Curtain, you can remain on the Moravian side of
the border and set out along the main Greenway
Prague-Vienna route, which copies exactly the
former signal road in this area. This flat segment
between the fields (except for the Přerov Hill) has
a good asphalt surface. If we are lucky and catch
the prevailing western breeze at our backs we can
really start clipping along. There are nice stops
on this section at the village of Jevišovka, which
has a lovely stork rest and the ecofarm Jáňův dvůr
in Nový Přerov.
n Rest stop on the border with a view of Mikulov
n Pumpkin field between Jaroslavice and Hrádek
36
n Rest stop in Jevišovka
The most authentic atmosphere of the Iron Curtain
is found after continuing from the Poštorná – Reinthal border crossing, along the former signal road
to the Soutok reserve south of Břeclav, where the
fence surrounding the reserve for several kilometers is an actual remnant of the original barbed
wire fences (more on page 11). Along with that you
be amazed by the natural surroundings in this part
of the Dolní Morava reserve (more information on
page 20).
The new thermal spa in the town of Laa an der
Thaya, the center of this micro-region, has made it
a new tourist destination for Austrian, Czech, Slovak, and Hungarian visitors. The historic part of
town is dominated by the new town hall from 1898
and the remnant of the 15th-century castle. Running through the town is the Dyje Mill Run, a 31.6
km-long bit of technical history and an important
man-made watercourse of southern Moravia and
the town of Laa an der Thaya. One outlying hamlet
nearby, Hanfthal, is named after its main product: it
has a hemp museum, and even makes hemp wine.
n Rest stop in Hevlín
More information about Mikulov, the Iron Curtain
Trail, Valtice, and the Museum of the Iron Curtain
on pages 25, 27 and 12.
37
n Cycle tourists on
former military road
near Jevišovka (above
left), the former
military road in the
Soutok game reserve,
which runs along an
original Iron Curtain
the former barbed
wire fence, offers
excellent cycling
conditions (above
right) and Jáňův dvůr
eco-farm, certified
accommodation
Cyclists Welcome.
For more information:
Routes and trails:
n Greenways: www.greenways.cz
n Moravian Wine Trail: www.stezky.cz
n Greenways Prague-Vienna:
www.pragueviennagreenways.org
n Iron Curtain Trail: www.ironcurtaintrail.eu
n EuroVelo: www.eurovelo.org
Cycling services and tourist information:
n Cyclists Welcome: www.cyklistevitani.cz
n Cycling in South Moravia: www.cyklo-jizni-morava.cz
n Cycling in Lower Austria: www.lower-austria.info
n Greenways Travel Club: www.gtc.cz
n St. James Trail: www.jakubskacesta.cz
n ČD Bike hire: www.cd.cz/en/volny-cas/pujcovnykol-cd/jihomoravsky-kraj/-8343/
n E-Bikes in Weinviertel:
www.velovital.com/weinviertel
Information on the region and wine:
n South Moravia: www.jizni-morava.cz
n National Wine Center: www.vinarskecentrum.cz
Information on parks and nature:
n Podyjí National Park: www.nppodyji.cz
n Thayatal National Park: www.np-thayatal.at
n CHKO Pálava: www.palava.cz
n Dolní Morava Biosphere Reserve:
www.dolnimorava.org
n Czech Ornithological Society: www.cso.cz
n Tiree Chmelar Herb Garden:
www.bylinkovazahradavaltice.cz
n Thayatal National Park: www.thayatal.com
n European Green Belt:
www.europeangreenbelt.org
36
n Rest stop in Jevišovka
The most authentic atmosphere of the Iron Curtain
is found after continuing from the Poštorná – Reinthal border crossing, along the former signal road
to the Soutok reserve south of Břeclav, where the
fence surrounding the reserve for several kilometers is an actual remnant of the original barbed
wire fences (more on page 11). Along with that you
be amazed by the natural surroundings in this part
of the Dolní Morava reserve (more information on
page 20).
The new thermal spa in the town of Laa an der
Thaya, the center of this micro-region, has made it
a new tourist destination for Austrian, Czech, Slovak, and Hungarian visitors. The historic part of
town is dominated by the new town hall from 1898
and the remnant of the 15th-century castle. Running through the town is the Dyje Mill Run, a 31.6
km-long bit of technical history and an important
man-made watercourse of southern Moravia and
the town of Laa an der Thaya. One outlying hamlet
nearby, Hanfthal, is named after its main product: it
has a hemp museum, and even makes hemp wine.
n Rest stop in Hevlín
More information about Mikulov, the Iron Curtain
Trail, Valtice, and the Museum of the Iron Curtain
on pages 25, 27 and 12.
37
n Cycle tourists on
former military road
near Jevišovka (above
left), the former
military road in the
Soutok game reserve,
which runs along an
original Iron Curtain
the former barbed
wire fence, offers
excellent cycling
conditions (above
right) and Jáňův dvůr
eco-farm, certified
accommodation
Cyclists Welcome.
For more information:
Routes and trails:
n Greenways: www.greenways.cz
n Moravian Wine Trail: www.stezky.cz
n Greenways Prague-Vienna:
www.pragueviennagreenways.org
n Iron Curtain Trail: www.ironcurtaintrail.eu
n EuroVelo: www.eurovelo.org
Cycling services and tourist information:
n Cyclists Welcome: www.cyklistevitani.cz
n Cycling in South Moravia: www.cyklo-jizni-morava.cz
n Cycling in Lower Austria: www.lower-austria.info
n Greenways Travel Club: www.gtc.cz
n St. James Trail: www.jakubskacesta.cz
n ČD Bike hire: www.cd.cz/en/volny-cas/pujcovnykol-cd/jihomoravsky-kraj/-8343/
n E-Bikes in Weinviertel:
www.velovital.com/weinviertel
Information on the region and wine:
n South Moravia: www.jizni-morava.cz
n National Wine Center: www.vinarskecentrum.cz
Information on parks and nature:
n Podyjí National Park: www.nppodyji.cz
n Thayatal National Park: www.np-thayatal.at
n CHKO Pálava: www.palava.cz
n Dolní Morava Biosphere Reserve:
www.dolnimorava.org
n Czech Ornithological Society: www.cso.cz
n Tiree Chmelar Herb Garden:
www.bylinkovazahradavaltice.cz
n Thayatal National Park: www.thayatal.com
n European Green Belt:
www.europeangreenbelt.org
38
Information on towns and villages:
n Valtice: www.valtice.eu
n Znojmo: www.znojmocity.cz
n Mikulov: www.mikulov.cz
Iron Curtain:
n About the Iron Curtain Trail:
www.ironcurtaintrail.eu
Partnership Foundation:
nwww.nadacepartnerstvi.cz
39
38
Information on towns and villages:
n Valtice: www.valtice.eu
n Znojmo: www.znojmocity.cz
n Mikulov: www.mikulov.cz
Iron Curtain:
n About the Iron Curtain Trail:
www.ironcurtaintrail.eu
Partnership Foundation:
nwww.nadacepartnerstvi.cz
39
40
41
40
41
42
43
42
43
44
Partnership Foundation (Nadace Partnerství) helps people to protect and improve their living
environment. It provides grants, specialized knowledge and services, and inspiration from abroad.
It supports public involvement in planting trees, protecting nature, low-impact transportation and
hiking, using renewable sources of energy, and creating quality public spaces. Over the 21 years of
its existence it has contributed over 280 million crowns in support of 3 000 projects. Together with
four sister foundations in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia it is part of the Environmental
Partnership Association.
WW W.N A DAC E PA RT NERS T VI.CZ
Through the Greenways program the Partnership Foundation supports the development of cycling
routes and trails, or natural corridors for sustainable tourism. Greenways not only contributes in
the area of environmental protection and the cultural heritage, it also brings together citizens,
officials, and businesses to join in planning and improvement of life in their communities. The
Partnership Foundation coordinates for example the Greenways Prague-Vienna, Greenways
Krakow-Moravia-Vienna, and the Moravian Wine Trails.
WW W.G R E E N WAYS .C Z
A joint project between the Partnership Foundation, the Region of South Moravia, Czech Tourist
Authority, and the Austrian partner Weinviertel Tourism GmbH called Experience the Land of Wine
and History by Bike was supported by the European Union from the European Fund for Regional
Development. Thanks to the project a number of cross-border tourist products will appear, along
with a clear and unified system of bicycle route signage in the South Moravian region; a new trail
EuroVelo 13 – Iron Curtain Trail will be marked, and thirty new rest stops for cyclists will be built.
Published by PF in 2012 with support from the European Fund for Regional Development
Texts by: Jakub Smolík, Daniel Mourek
Translation: Todd Hammond, Barbora Hammondová
Cooperation from: NP Podyjí, Pálava Protected Landscape Area
Photos: archive CCRJM, archive NP, archive CHKO Pálava, Jakub Smolík, Petr Lazárek,
Richard Nebeský, Thomas Falch
Maps: European Cycling Federation, Shocart, a.s.
Cover photo: Vojtěch V. Sláma
Design and composition: sumec+ryšková
Print: POINT CZ, s.r.o.
ISBN 978-80-904918-4-7

Moravské vinařské stezky Places at former Iron

Transcription

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