The town of Mikulov and it's sights

The town of Mikulov and it's sights

At the foot of the Palava Hills, surrounded by rich

vineyards and lush verdure of South Moravia, there rises

a renowned town of Mikulov which will make everyone,

domestic and foreign visitors alike, fall in love with it.

You will be enchanted by our Holy Hill whose slopes

steeply fall into a landscape with the town of Mikulov

and monumental chateau in the middle. The dazzling

white rocks with silver cliffs, rich flora and unique fauna

and azure sky - this is Mikulov, one of the jewels of

Moravia....

The Castle (Chateau)

Due to the effects of wars and raids, none of the first historically documented stage of Romanesque architecture in the town survives, except for elements found on the Chateau Hill.

Around 1218 a medieval royal castle arose here and came to the ownership of the Liechtensteins in 1249. The still existing gate to the inner courtyard and palace was carved into the rock, and has been guarded by a cylindrical tower since the mid-13th century. The first Liechtensteins continued extending and rebuilding the castle. The main renovation took place in the 14th century, when the Late Romanesque castle was converted into a Gothic one. The edge tower dates from that period, as well as another four-sided tower

In the 1480's a chapel was added inside the main cylinder shaped tower. Approaching Turkish threat in the mid-16th century caused another change : Huge, solid bastions were built on the southeast, southwest, and west sides at the corners of the outer walls.

After fires in 1719, the construction was given a High Baroque treatment. Architect Gustav Alexander Oedtl reshaped it into a chateau, he changed the three-story building into two stories, while retaining the original height.

The castle wall was torn down on the east side, and a summer riding school built in its place, with a stairway to the garden. In 1945 the chateau was burned by retreating German soldiers; all that remained were charred ruins. In 1947 work was begun that would restore the chateau in its present form.

The Goat Tower

Kozí hrádek (Goat Tower), or rather Kozí vrch (Goat Hill), is one of the three stony heights overlooking Mikulov: Chateau Hill, Holy Hill, and Goat Castle. For ages it used to play its part controlling the trade route from Vienna to Brno. The hill's original name, "Knieberg", is taken from the nearby bend in the road guarded by Goat Castle. There are crosspoints of two business trails with the Dyje river : one at Mušov , one at the fort at Ivaň, and one at the castle at Strachotin, at the western foot of the Pálava Hills. From here, the so-called "mustard trail" crossed the Pálava Hills towards Klentnice, while the entrance to the town of Mikulov was situated in the east. The "upper trail" then went around the chateau and turned towards Laa an der Thaya, Austria.

Holy Hill

In 1622, Mikulov and the surrounding area were struck by the plague. To drive it away, Cardinal Dietrichstein sponsored the bell tower and church of St. Sebastian to protect the town against the plague. On July 2nd, 1623, the cornerstone was consecrated.

By order of the Cardinal, a path to the hilltop was carved, and, during 1626-30,16 Stations of the Cross were installed. The place became the destination of an autumn

pilgrimage. In 1631 a free-standing bell tower was built on the hilltop.

Rennaisance House at the Knights (graffito house)

Was built after a destructive fire in 1561. It´s the only grafitto in our town.

Church of St. Wenceslas

The organ in the Church of St. Wenceslas, the work of Brno organ maker Jan Výmola, dates from 1771. The instrument is very valuable. The provost's Church of St. Wenceslas was preceded by a Romanesque church no longer in existence. It was probably burned around 1426. As noted in the town chronicles, the construction of a new church was begun during the time when the Liechtenstein's economic power was at its peak, before the Hussite Wars,

Ditrichstein Tomb

The Dietrichstein Tomb, which closes off the eastern side of the square, is a building with a complex history. In 1623, Cardinal Dietrichstein established the so-called Loreta, designed by Santa Casa (Holy Crčche) in Loreta, Italy. No exact information on the original Mikulov Loreta has survived, nor has the original structure, therefore the original building plan of the Cardinal is not known. From what remains of the original building, and from old pictures, we know its form as it was in the mid-17th century, when it was St Anna Church. The Dietrichsteins were burried there from that time until the fire of 1784, when the entire northern part of the square burned down, and the church became a ruin.

The Jewish Quarter

Left: Jewish synagogue Right up : gravestones Right down : Houses of Funeral Fraternity