South Moravia – wine, Lednice and Mikulov

When we think of the Czech Republic, we think of beer. But in South Moravia, near the Austrian border, people have made wine for centuries. Here it’s not just a job but a lifelong passion. Endless vineyards, little cellars dug into the hillsides and castles set in parkland make the region ideal for wine touring and cycling.

Lednice-Valtice

The Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape is a UNESCO site and one of the largest man-made landscapes in Europe (about 200 sq km). In 1222 the Liechtenstein family settled here and, over centuries, turned the area into a vast park.

• Lednice Castle – neo-Gothic, with rich interiors and a glasshouse.
• The Minaret in the park – a 60 m tower with views over the whole estate.
• Valtice Castle – a Baroque palace. Its cellar houses the Wine Salon of the Czech Republic, where you can taste the year’s top 100 wines.
• Small romantic follies scattered through the park, linked by cycle paths.

Mikulov

Mikulov is a wine town below the limestone hill of Svatý kopeček. It has a Renaissance castle with a giant barrel in its cellar, a Jewish quarter with a synagogue and cemetery, and dozens of wine cellars. Many cycling and walking routes start here, through the vineyards of Pálava.

Moravian wines

Moravia is best known for whites – Grüner Veltliner, Welschriesling, Müller-Thurgau and the local Pálava grape – and for reds such as Frankovka and St Laurent. In autumn try burčák, partly fermented grape juice sold only around harvest time.

Four-day programme

1. Arrive – transfer to Lednice and check in (you can even stay in a castle).
2. Lednice-Valtice – the castles and park by bike, with a tasting in the evening.
3. Mikulov and the Pálava vineyards, visiting winemakers.
4. Leave for Vienna or Prague.

Practical tips

• Zero tolerance for drink-driving. Use trains, bikes or a driver.
• In September–October every village holds harvest festivals.
• Vienna to Mikulov is about an hour by car – easy to combine with Vienna.