*Routes around the Nové Mlýny reservoirs, starting from the Roman site of Mušov: 16 km to 26 km*

Routes around the Nové Mlýny reservoirs, starting from the Roman site of Mušov: 16 km to 26 km

On 1 January 1980 the South Moravian municipality of Mušov was officially abolished. Over the preceding months the village (which dates back to the 13th century) had been abandoned and its inhabitants controversially relocated to nearby municipalities. This was in preparation for the flooding of the valley by the damming of the river Dyje. It took a further seven years for the reservoir system to be completed, thus creating the second largest expanse of water in the Czech lands.
In 1972 the Communist authorities decided to create the Nové Mlýny reservoir system, partly in response to the threat of flooding and partly to support an irrigation system designed to boost agricultural output. Ironically, just two years after the village lands had been submerged by the waters of the Dyje, the 1989 Velvet Revolution cancelled the irrigation plan.
Today, the only indication that Mušov village existed is the Church of St. Linhart, picturesquely sited on an ‘island’ in the middle of the three linked reservoirs. In recent years, these have become popular watersports and fishing sites. There are still debates around the necessity for the creation of the reservoir and the eviction of the Mušov population, but there does seem to be evidence now that the shallow lakes are beneficial to the local environment.
It is worth noting, perhaps, that 1979 was not the first time that the residents of Mušov had been evicted. Immediately after World War II, the predominately German-Austrian population had been forcibly expelled by the Czechoslovak authorities under the Beneš decrees, leaving just two (presumably Czech) families in residence. One could argue that it was the 1945 expulsions, after some seven centuries of occupation, that deserve the greater debate.
Notwithstanding the continuing controversy about the fate of Mušov and its residents, the lakes themselves are certainly scenic and definitely worth a visit. Cycle paths and hiking trails have been created around most of the circumference, as well as along the two dams that divide the triple reservoir. The terrain is mostly flat, primarily on dedicated asphalt cycle paths.
It is possible to circumnavigate the whole reservoir complex in one trip, but this is an epic – at least for walkers – 45 km journey! Most will want to choose just one or two of the linked reservoirs to walk around. The smallest of the reservoirs (Horní – upper ) was the first to be created and has the most extensive watersports areas. It also has two thermal springs, which are used by the Aqualand center. It is a 16 km trip around the upper reservoir.
The middle reservoir, sometimes called Věstonice reservoir, is arguably the most scenic to circumnavigate as the marked trail closely follows the shoreline almost the whole way round. There is an education trail with information boards for most of the length of the 18 km loop. The route also passes the Paleolithic ‘mammoth hunter’ site of Dolní Věstonice on the southern side of the reservoir. For a description of the walk around this world famous archaeological site see here. An extension to visit this site can be combined with the loop around either the middle or lower reservoirs, if wanting a longer day trip.
Another important nearby archaeological site, which can be combined with either the upper or middle reservoir loops, is the Roman legionary fortress of Mušov, on the north side of the reservoir. This remarkable site is only just revealing its secrets and an excellent new museum was opened in 2020. A full description of this walk can be found here. Adding a visit to the museum (map point 2) is highly recommended (and can be done without significantly extending the walk).
The lower (dolní) reservoir is the largest and the route around it is 21 km in length. It is probably the least toured of the three reservoirs – but that may be its most attractive feature as the lakes get very busy in high season. If wanting to shorten the trip around this lake, there is a popular ferry which runs between three ports in the summer months.
The route shown in the map below shows a suggested 26 km route around around the upper and middle reservoirs. It assumes a start at the Aqualand parking area – where there is extensive parking as well as direct bus connections Brno. There are many potential refreshment options along the way – some only open in the summer season – including a nice café in Pasohlávky (map point 4) and the excellent outdoor fish grill Kiosek u rybárny at approximately the halfway point (map point 6). There are also restaurants in the villages of Brod nad Dyjí, Dolní Věstonice and Strachotín, just a short diversion from the route.
One note of caution: the route is almost entirely without shade, so care is need on hot summer’s days

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

The route directions are fairly obvious as the goal is to stay as close to the lakeshore as possible, following the marked cycle path around the upper and middle reservoirs
The only significant section away from the shoreline is around the village of Brod nad Dyjí