The Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape is spread over the site of a mighty 12th century border castle. Today it is the home of a romantic château, a picturesque village and in particular a jewel of landscape architecture of unprecedented proportions. The notional milestone at the beginning of the long period of development of this whole area is the end of the 14th century, when the Liechtenstein family obtained a share of the land. The current area, measuring almost 300 km2, is the result of landscaping based on English parks, and thanks to this baroque architecture meets the neo-gothic château and small follies in the romantic style. The Ledice-Valtice Cultural Landscape, as one of the treasures of UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage, was inscribed in its list in 1996.
A tour of the area commences in Lednice with a walk around the château garden, from where we reach the English park from the French gardens. We cross the bridge and the narrow pathway to our left leads us to the Minaret. On our way we pass by the grotto “Peklo/Hell” and a copy of a Roman aqueduct. There are two tours of the castle, and children can have fun too amongst the elves and gargoyles in the Grotto with its stalactites. Lovers of the exotic will have their breath taken away by the palm greenhouse. We then make our way to Valtice, where we can visit the Church of Nanebevzetí Panny Marie (Assumption of the Virgin Mary) or the nearby Národní zemědělské muzeum (National Agricultural Museum). The Baroque castle grounds offers tours and walks around the château and its gardens, and our tour can end in the château cellars where we can taste the wines on offer at the Czech Republic Wine Salon.
The wine educational trail is a cycle route, five kilometres in length, which brings us through the castle grounds and into the extensive Valtice vineyards. From here we continue to the colonnade to the viewing point known as Reistna, which is at the highest point of the grounds. The colonnade was built at the beginning of the 19th century by Jan Josef I von Liechtenstein and the builder Josef Popellach thereby made his name.
The Lednice-Valtice grounds by car is a traditional family outing. First you should visit the Janův hrad folly and the Temple of the Three Graces, which is about 5 km to the north east of Valtice following the red route. Another stop is Nový dvůr with its horse stud, which is about three kilometres to the south of Lednice, also following the red route, and the final stop is the Belvedere castle, which is about one kilometre to the north of Valtice following the red and blue routes.
Břeclav and Pohansko can be seen by car and on foot and you can begin your tour in Břeclav with a tour of the Church of St. Václav (kostel sv. Václava), the city museum or the Jewish synagogue. From here you can go on foot to the Pohansko castle, where in the 9th century the largest early medieval fortifications in the Czech lands were built. It is all the more interesting as the items that were discovered there today form a part of the castle exhibition.
The Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape by bicycle begins on Zámecké náměstí and takes you to Janův hrad, through the Kančí obora/Wild Boar reservation to the Mill pond with the Temple of Apollo, the Three Graces, the Chapel of St. Hubert, the Rendez-Vous, and back to Valtice. In Valtice you should first visit to the château and then continue to the colonnade on Rajstna. From there you return to Lednice via the Belvedere, Hraniční and Rybiční castles.
The Liechtenstein route takes you from the Břeclav château to Janův hrad and other Liechtenstein monuments, such as the Rybniční zámeček/Fisherman's Lodge, Hraniční zámek (Border Château) in Hlohovec, the Three Graces, Nový dvůr and the Temple of Apollo. You can also commence your cycle tour in Lednice, continuing through the Kančí obora to Břeclav, via Poštovná to Pohansko where you may visit the archaeological exhibition.
Lednice and Valtice by bicycle and on foot is a tour of about fourteen kilometres, taking you from Zámecké náměstí in Lednice to the Lednice fish-ponds, Nový Dvůr, the Three Graces and the Chapel of St. Hubert. This is a three-sided chapel and is the youngest building in the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape. From here you continue to the Rendez – vous, a temple dedicated to the goddess of hunting, Diana, and back to Valtice.
The educational trail around the Ledice-Valtice fish-ponds is an exhibition of Moravian fish management, which dates from the 15th century. The largest fish pond is the 325 ha Nesyt, which is also the largest fish pond in Moravia. The collection is made up of the Hlohovecký, Prostřední, Mlýnský, Zámecký and Podzámecký ponds. On the 17th stopover you will get acquainted with local fauna and flora.
Lednice, Hlohovec, Nejdek by bicycle is a medium-challenging cycle tour from Lednice to the Rybniční castle, continuing along the Prostřední and Hlohovecký fish-ponds to the Hraniční zámeček/Border château. You then continue through the vineyards along the so-called Liechtenstein route to Nejdek, from where you return along the Moravian wine route to Lednice.
