by No comments

*A circuit around the remarkable Vranov nad Dyjí Castle: 10 km*

  • The castle and chateau at Vranov nad Dyjí is one of the most dramatically situated and photogenic in the country. Its different architectural styles, from medieval Gothic, through to Baroque and Classicist, combined with its lofty position on a crag above the meandering Dyje river, makes Vranov a photographer’s dream. The interior is pretty spectacular too, with tours featuring life in the chateau in the 18th and 19th centuries.
  • Vranov was originally constructed in the 11th century, by the Přemyslid rulers of the country, as part of a defensive chain of fortresses protecting the southern border. The village of Vranov, established shortly afterwards on the opposite bank of the river, grew alongside the castle and today is a bustling small town.
  • Just a couple of kilometers from the town, a dam was constructed on the Dyje river and completed in 1933. The resulting reservoir is today a popular tourist destination with a sandy beach and many restaurants. The beach is accessed from close to the dam via a 250m long pedestrian suspension bridge.
  • A good circuit starting in the town might be to visit the castle/chateau and then tour the forests behind, which were part of the park area. The suggested route crosses the Dyje to enter the village and then climbs up to wooded slopes on the eastern side of the river, where there are several excellent viewpoints overlooking the castle. The route descends towards the reservoir, where there is the option to visit the beach area, before returning to Vranov across the dam.
  • The total route described above is approximately 10 km long, with 320m of height to ascend/descend. The slopes on the the eastern side of the river are quite steep in places. For refreshments, apart from the restaurants near the beach area, there is a nice café serving good ice cream called Na Skalce, on the right side just after crossing the dam on the way back to Vranov.

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

  • Vranov village can be reached by bus from nearby Znojmo, and there is a large paid parking area just above the town
  • From the town center or car park follow the signs to the castle (hrad), which partly is along the BLUE hiking trail
  • After visiting the castle, join the red-white triangle marked nature trail (the Felicitin Okruh) which circles through the forest on the south side of the castle to reach the road bridge across the Dyje after 2.4 km
  • Cross the bridge and follow the YELLOW hiking trail into the center of the town, which is reached in 300m
  • In the town centre, join the blue/white triangle marked nature trail (the Claryho trail) in the direction of Onšov
  • This 3.5 km trail climbs into the forest area on the north and east side of the river and has a number of good viewpoints. The trail then descends to reach the reservoir, close to the suspension bridge at Garnet Bay
  • If wanting to visit the beach cross the suspension bridge and afterwards return back to the Garnet Bay trail junction
  • From there it is 2.3 km walk back to the town, following the GREEN hiking trail (crossing the dam)
Tags