The unique almond nature trail above the South Moravian wine town of Hustopeče: 4 km to 11 km
- The town of Hustopeče, situated just off the D2 highway 40 km southeast of Brno, might be considered the gateway to the South Moravian wine-growing area. Vineyards surround the town, but Hustopeče is probably most famous for its unique orchards of almond trees, considered the largest in Central Europe. A nature trail circles through the orchards to reach a modern viewing tower, offering good views of the Pálava wine area.
- Hustopče itself has some interesting architecture to explore, including its striking modern church and the neo Renaissance town hall. However, the real gem is the 16th century town house now housing the museum and a nice café. The Renaissance courtyard would not be out of place as the setting for a Shakespeare play.
- For a short walk, it is just 2 km from the town square up to the viewing tower. The full almond nature trail is around 11 km long, but the highlights are the hilltop area near the viewing tower, so completing the full circuit is probably only for those with a real passion for almond orchards!
- The slope up to the viewing tower is relatively steep and not ideal for strollers. There is around 100m of climbing if just doing the direct climb to the tower and over 200m if taking the full almond circuit. The café at the museum is definitely worth stopping at after the walk.
Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.com’ to go to a full screen version of the route directly on the mapy.com site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file.
Directions
- Hustopeče is connected by train and bus with Brno. There are also parking areas around the main square
- If planning on just visiting the viewing tower, take the GREEN hiking trail in the direction of Starý vrch – rozhl. The tower is 2.1 km from the junction in front of the bus station. Take the same path back to the town centre
- If taking the full almond trail, this is probably best followed using the mapy.cz phone application, taking the route in a clockwise direction. The trail markers – green/white diagonal stripes – are a bit sporadic.
