Things to see and do Mikulov

This beautiful and wild reserve covers an area of 83 km2, between Mikulov and the Novomlýnska reservoir. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a biosphere reserve of interest (rare flora and fauna). The tourist office in Mikulov provides hiking maps of the area. Don't hesitate to climb its austere mountains: you will be rewarded with the discovery of an arid land that looks more like the Russian steppe than a Central European landscape.

This vast expanse of water, north of Mikulov, is a popular recreation area for the locals. It is an artificial construction from the 1960s, an ambitious project of the local Communist Party that wanted to prove the know-how of Moravian engineers. A dam was built, and a village that was in the way of the project had to give in to the will of the party. Thus, the village of Mušov no longer exists today; it was swallowed by the waters when the dam was inaugurated. The only thing that remains is the village church, which is nowadays located on a small island in the center of the lake.

It is not difficult to imagine why the first Slavic tribes who settled in the territory of the present-day Czech Republic decided to establish a fort on this beautiful rocky peak. From here, one can overlook the plain and control the region. But of course, no trace of this first stronghold remains today. The medieval walls that can still be seen today date from the 13th century, when the fort was first enlarged. Two old towers are noteworthy. The present baroque castle was built in 1719 by the Dietrichstein family on top of the medieval citadel (which had already been remodeled into a Renaissance castle). But the palace also houses a folklore and wine exhibition and... a curiosity: the enormous 17th century barrel with a capacity of 1,010 hectoliters, the largest in this part of Europe and much larger than the barrels one is used to seeing in the cellars. Another highlight of the visit is the library, built after the fire of 1729, which now houses over 11,000 priceless volumes. The terraced gardens (free admission) offer beautiful views of the city. The regional museum has been closed in 2021 due to renovations of both the premises and the collections, with no reopening date yet given due to delays during the pandemic. Check the website for more information.