Skalice – Castle, Park and Cultural Heritage

Skalice brings together a historic castle building, a landscape park and other sites of cultural and historical interest. The Skalické kopečky also have botanical significance. When planning your trip, you can focus on different things: architecture and local history, as well as parkland and botanically significant sites.

Skalice Castle and Local History

Skalice Castle was built at the beginning of the 19th century on the site of the former Chapel of St. Vitus. Designed in the Empire style, it has a chapel wing arranged around a rectangular courtyard. It served as a summer residence for the Lords of Bítov. A retirement home has been housed in the castle since 1954, so do not assume that the interiors are open to visitors.

Three distinct terms help explain the architecture: Empire refers to the style, the rectangular courtyard to the layout, and the chapel wing to a specific part of the building. The former Chapel of St. Vitus stood on the site before the castle was built.

The medieval centre of the village around the present-day castle is designated as a UAN-2 area with archaeological finds. The medieval origins of the village centre and the 19th-century building history of the castle therefore represent different periods.

Park and Botanical Highlights

Skalice Castle Park is an English landscape garden along the Skalička stream. The stream flows through Skalice, and the park is also home to a 35-metre-tall London plane.

The Skalické kopečky are botanically significant sites of dry steppe grassland. They are home to numerous Red List species, including the highly endangered large-flowered pasqueflower. In contrast to the English landscape garden, the focus here is not on a designed landscape but on dry grassland habitats and the plant species found there. The botanical significance therefore encompasses both the habitat type and the plants found there: steppe grassland describes the habitat, while the pasqueflower and Red List species illustrate its importance.

Historic Buildings and Traces of the Past

The granary in Skalice dates from the early 19th century and is a prominent landmark in the region. The chapel on the hill above Skalice dates from the second quarter of the 19th century. A statue of St. John of Nepomuk, dating from the late 18th century, stands at the new bell tower. A second statue of the same saint stands on the Class II road west of Skalice.

The statue at the new bell tower is older than the castle and granary; the chapel dates from the second quarter of the 19th century. The dates mentioned thus range from the late 18th century to the second quarter of the 19th century.

Vintage Car Gathering in Skalice

The Sraz veteránů vintage car gathering is held regularly on the grounds of Selský dvůr Skalice. Dates and programmes may change; check the details of the relevant edition if the event is the reason for your trip.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Prokopov, Plaveč, Miroslav, Korolupy, Šafov, Stálky, Uhercice U Znojma, Šatov

For the broader travel overview: Znojmo District.