A day trip to Znojmo – spots to visit

Znojmo is a small picturesque town located near the Austrian border. It’s also the heart of the wine region with wine trees all around the city. Its historical centre invites for a walk and sightseeing and the underground hides some secrets. Take a tour with us to learn more.

CASTLE

Znojmo Castle was our first stop. The baroque castle sits on the rock overlooking the Dyje river. You won’t see much of it unless you buy a guided tour. It’s open from May till September, from Tuesday till Sunday from 9 am till 5 pm. Learn the castle’s history and hear about families that lived here.

ROTUNDA

Part of the area of the castle is also the rotunda of st. Catherine. Rotunda is the oldest building in town, its history goes back to the XI century. It can be viewed nowadays on a guided tour. Inside you can admire beautiful ornaments telling the story of the beginning of Czech statehood. It’s closed during bad weather conditions.

BREWERY

Although south Moravia is well known for making the finest wines, it also has a history in the brewing industry. Back in 1720, the first brewery arose in Znojmo in the first courtyard of the castle. For some reason, it was completely closed in 2009, but fortunately, the beer-making industry returned to Znojmo in 2015. Visit the brewery restaurant to try out different kinds of Znojmo beers. On Fridays from 4 pm, it’s also possible to participate in excursions to the city brewery. But if you want to know even more about beer making and its history buy a ticket to the exposition of the brewery industry, available daily from 9.30 till 5.30 pm.

CITY WALLS

The whole area of the castle, rotunda, and brewery is surrounded by the city walls. It’s where the most picturesque views await you. Znojmo was the best fortified Czech town on the way from Vienna to Prague.

OLD TOWN

The city centre is not big, it’s easily walkable. The most prominent building in the town is the town hall tower, which currently is under reconstruction and unfortunately, the facades are covered. Really close to it, you can find the TIC point, where you can equip yourself with plenty of brochures about the city itself, but also about its surroundings. Walk between squares and observe the city’s different buildings. Stop by the Vlk’s Tower, and go to the city’s park between freedom square and republic square.

UNDERGROUND

Let’s not forget the most famous and biggest underground tunnels in the whole Czech Republic. It’s long 27 kilometres and four floors deep. The corridors were built in the XIII and XIV century, during the war served as hideaways and escape rooms.

LOUKA MONASTERY

Our last stop in Znojmo was Louka monastery. We mainly visited it because of the exhibition that is currently taking place there. The exhibition relates to a book called Garden (Zahrada) written by Jiří Trnka, which in an interactive way showcases its content.

WORTH VISITING NEARBY

The shopping centre Freeport is especially liked by Austrians. Buy cheaper branded clothes or alcohol in a duty-free shop.

Fun city Excalibur. It’s a kind of amusement park for kids. Entrance is free; however, you will probably spend a fortune on the attractions anyways. Take your kid, 120 cm and above to get some adrenaline.

Vranov nad Dyjí. A baroque and very picturesque chateau lying on the rock above Dyje river is a must-see spot on the Czech tourist map.

Mikulov. A small city in the south of the Czech Republic, probably most known for wineries and hectares of grapevine crops. It’s also one of the most popular destinations in South Moravia, besides Brno. And it’s not only because of the wine. Mikulov is simply magical. The most recognizable landmarks of the town are Chateau Mikulov and Holly hill.