Mikulov - Picturesque Town in South Moravia
Mikulov is a charming city in South Moravia. I hadn't visited it before as it is quite far away from the place where my father lives. Last summer, we decided to travel across the region, and we couldn't miss coming to this place. I can now say that it is one of the most beautiful towns in Czech Republic. You wouldn't believe how many architectural and historical gems you can find in such a small place.
It is built on the hills of Pálava Mountains and it is surrounded with vineyards. It's situated in the heart of a very well-known wine region of Czech Republic. You can come here if you want to relax as well as if you prefer spending your time more actively as surrounding hills give you many opportunities for hiking or cycling.
The first mention of Mikulov dates back to 1173. It has a rich history and I will try to tell you the most interesting facts about this place.
As soon as you enter the city, you feel like you were back in the medieval times. The historical square got its current appearance at the end of the 16th century and its renaissance buildings are preserved and almost unchanged till today. The most impressive building on the square is the Dietrichstein Tomb, originally the Loreto Church of St. Anna.
The church was built in the first half of the 17th century but those two towers were built at the beginning of the 18th century. In 1784, the church was damaged by fire and reconstructed in the 19th century.
The purpose of the reconstruction was to create a family tomb of the Dietrichsteins and their remains were moved there from Prague. Today, there are 45 coffins and 3 urns with the remains of members of the Dietrichstein family.
Here is the tomb.
Next to the Dietrichstein Tomb is the Canons' House which was built by František of Dietrichstein. It keeps its original appearance however the interior was damaged by the fire in 1784.
On top of a hill, overlooking the city is the Goat Tower which was built in the 15th century. It used to control the strategic path between Brno and Vienna. Today, you can easily reach it from Mikulov.
There are several churches in Mikulov and the Church of St. Wenceslas is one of them. It was built in the 15th century, in the place of the former church from the 12th century. In reality, it took several centuries to build the church as we see it today. It was also damaged many times and reconstructed again. Today, it serves as a church with its regular services.
Mikulov also have a beautiful chateau complex. You can enter the complex directly from the historical square. My husband and dad were walking in front of me. My dad almost cut off his arm at his work a couple of days before.
The chateau Mikulov is located on a hill and it takes some effort to get there. But just think about going down. It's going to be much easier!
This impressive chateau was originally built in the 13th century. It became the main seat of the Liechtenstein family, and therefore it was often upgraded to match the needs of the noble family. The family lived above their level and it was too expensive to maintain the chateau, so it was sold to Ladislav Kereczenyi of Kaniafeld.
In the 16th century it came to the hands of the Dietrichstein family and the chateau continue to flourish. As many other historical buildings, this chateau was damaged and reconstructed many times however the biggest disaster came in 1945. The chateau was destroyed down to the foundations. Some say that it was Nazi soldiers who set the chateau on fire, other say that the circumstances were unclear.
Nevertheless, the reconstruction of the chateau was completed in 1960 and now we can adore it in its full glory again.
We could only admire the gate as the chateau is closed on Monday and we couldn't choose another day for our visit.
There must have been something very interesting behind those windows. I will have to ask my husband if he remembers what they were looking at with my dad.
Everything in the chateau looks brand new but it doesn't take away its charm. It looks like it's supposed to be like this. I like that there are paths around the chateau and many trees that protected us against hot sun.
This plant growing on the houses makes it look charming..
The tower has been one of the oldest constructions on the chateau hill. It was as well damaged in 1945 and reconstructed a few years later.
There are also many interesting sculptures in Mikulov. This one is called 'Parable with skull' which is based on of the Kafka's characters. It's the beggar, who with the death rattle already in his throat, insists on dying on the doorstep” from The Bucket Rider.
Another one is the sculpture of a man sleeping on a tun of wine. He chose a very relaxing place for his nap.
Here are a few more impressions from the castle...
My husband and reflection in his sunglasses...
And look at this plant! It completely took over this house. I wonder how those people deal with the bugs that are on that plant..
And one last photo of this beautiful place...
Even though my relationship with my father is not ideal, I am still the only one from the family who is in touch with him. I will never forget what he has done to us, but I believe that forgiveness is important. It's not only important for the one who is being forgiven but it is also important for yourself. It's so difficult to live with hate in your heart and I hope that my family will understand it one day.
I am happy that I had the strength to forgive my father and that we can spend some time together each year. I know that he is grateful for what I've done for him and it makes me feel good.
And when you forget someone, you can go on great trips with them too 😊
Thank you for visiting!
Cheers!
Martina