EV13 Stage 8: Laa - Valtice

Valtice

From Laa an der Thaya, head for Wildendürnbach and then up the hill to picturesque Galgenberg, also known as Šibeniční Vrch (Gallows Hill), which offers vineyards and wine cellars. There are a total of 184 wine cellars around Galgenberg, which were voted the most beautiful cellar lanes in Lower Austria in 2013. There are tours of these cellar lanes, wine tasting or refreshment in the cellars. On your way to Mikulov you should definitely stop to relax on the border, where the most beautiful rest area in South Moravia is located. It has the shape of a wine press and sundial and is an ideal place to enjoy the view of the impressive Baroque castle in Mikulov which stands on a hill above the town. The town of Mikulov lies amidst vineyards. You definitely should not miss this historic old town on your way, as it has a romantic square with the Dietrichstein tomb, a Baroque castle, where you will find the largest domestic exposition of winemaking culture and a unique giant wine barrel, Jewish sights and the Holy Hill (Svatý Kopeček) to which the early Baroque Way of the Cross with Passion chapels leads from the town. When you leave Mikulov, go along the Freedom Route in parallel with the railway. Information panels along the route will inform you about the fates of people who tried to leave in order to find freedom. You can make a stop at the memorial to the victims of the Iron Curtain. In nearby Sedlec you can refresh yourself and continue on to Úvaly, which was almost entirely surrounded by barbed wire during the totalitarian era. After going up the hill to the Valtice–Schrattenberg border crossing, you can visit the Iron Curtain Museum in the former customs house, where, during a half-hour tour, you will learn all about how the borders were fortified and what dangers threatened those trying to flee, and there is also an interrogation cell and border fence replica. You can also see one of the outdoor artefacts of the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape, Reistna with a Colonnade – a monumental Neoclassical building decorated with figures of ancient mythology – from where the most atmospheric view of Valtice with its impressive Baroque castle and of the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape opens. Then it is just a short ride down the road to Valtice, famous for its castle. For centuries the castle was owned by the Liechtenstein family and from 1560 it was the main residence of the dynasty. The wealth of the family is demonstrated by the size and splendour of the entire castle grounds. Its current appearance was created by a number of prominent architects of the 17th and 18th centuries such as Anton Ospel, Anton Erhard Martinelli and Antonio Beduzzi. The castle is considered one of the most important examples of Baroque architecture in the Czech Republic and in 1996 the castle and castle park were listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The cellar of the castle holds the National Wine Salon, where you can taste the best years of Moravian and Czech wines.