Uherské Hradiště District: Culture, Tradition and Landscape

In Uherské Hradiště District, things to explore range from Great Moravian history and folk architecture to cycling routes, an annual tradition and scenic landscapes. In Staré Město, museums and history take center stage; Vlčnov combines cultural heritage with the history of wine-making and distilling, while Chřiby, Modrá and various routes offer other highlights. You can tailor your stay to the experiences that interest you most.

Great Moravia and the City's History

The Great Moravian Memorial in Staré Město is a national cultural monument, built above the foundations of the Church of Na Valách. Its exhibition on the history of Great Moravia uses life-size dioramas and also shows the activities of people in the 9th century. Practical information for your visit: the museum is wheelchair accessible and has an elevator and an accessible toilet.

At the Slovácké Museum, the ethnographic exhibition Slovácko explores regional culture. Its texts and audio guides are available in Czech, English and German; the exhibition is also adapted for blind and visually impaired visitors. The permanent exhibition “Uherské Hradiště – Royal Town” offers a different perspective on the past: it covers more than 750 years of the city's history.

Castle, Baroque Architecture and Folk Architecture

Buchlov Castle is a national cultural monument whose origins date back to the first half of the 13th century. Buchlovice Chateau offers a different architectural style: it is a prominent Baroque residence surrounded by a Baroque garden. In Velehrad, visitors can explore the underground area of the Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Saints Cyril and Methodius in the lapidarium. On display are original portals and archaeological finds from the Romanesque and Gothic periods.

The Topolná Open-Air Museum preserves folk-architecture buildings and shows the typical form of a Pomoravian house made of unfired bricks. House No. 93 is open to the public and illustrates the living conditions and furnishings of a farmstead from the late 19th century. Other exhibition topics include washing and fishing; the museum also includes a historic forge. The orchard contains a fruit-drying kiln and an apiary. Together, these details offer insight into different aspects of rural life and traditional building methods.

Wine-Making, Distilling History and Tradition

The Vlčnov wine cellars form the largest protected complex of above-ground wine-making buildings in the Czech Republic. The individual buildings were used for pressing, tasting and storing wine. Another aspect of local heritage is explored at the Museum of Folk Distilleries in Vlčnov, which documents the home production of slivovitz and fruit brandies in the Moravian-Slovak border region.

The Ride of the Kings in Vlčnov is also part of the cultural visitor experience. It is part of the UNESCO-listed Ride of the Kings tradition and takes place annually; the dates vary from year to year. If you would like to experience this tradition during your trip, plan your visit around the date of the event.

Landscape and Wildlife Watching

Chřiby Nature Park is characterized by beech forests, rock formations, springs, viewpoints and deep valleys. At Živá voda Modrá, the focus is on aquatic life: a glass tunnel reveals the aquatic fauna of the Morava River ecosystem and nearby streams and ponds. The exhibition also includes depictions of Moravian habitats, including a spring from Chřiby, an herb garden and a floodplain forest. A wooden bridge crosses an enclosure with aurochs.

The Rovnina lookout tower has 127 steps. From the top, the view stretches across the Morava River valley, Chřiby, the White Carpathians, the Hostýn Hills and the Vizovice Highlands. Access is seasonal, so check whether it is open during your travel dates.

Cycling and Hiking Routes with Different Levels of Difficulty

The cycling route along the Baťa Canal has only minor elevation changes and is considered suitable for families, older travelers and inline skaters. Conditions on site may vary. The Uherské Hradiště Wine Trail offers a more clearly defined route: this easy 45-kilometer cycling loop starts and ends in Uherské Hradiště and passes through Ostrožská Nová Ves and Vlčnov. The two cycling options therefore differ in their described features: the Baťa Canal route is notable for its gentle elevation profile and the groups it is said to suit, while the Wine Trail is a clearly defined loop.

The 59-kilometer Great Moravian Pilgrimage Route is described as a challenging hike. It runs from Uherské Hradiště via Cimburk and Buchlovice and back to the starting point, linking Great Moravian monuments with those from later periods. On the section through Modrá, the route includes the Archeoskanzen archaeological open-air museum and the Živá voda freshwater exhibition. The cycling loop and the challenging pilgrimage route thus offer clearly different ways to add an activity to your stay.

Discover more destinations: Staré Město, Bojkovice, Babice U Uherského Hradiště, Stříbrnice, Lopenik, Velehrad, Buchlovice, Borsice, Stary Hrozenkov, Hustenovice, Hradčovice, Sušice, Komňa, Uherský Brod, Bánov, Bílovice, Boršice U Blatnice, Ořechov, Bystřice Pod Lopeníkem, Březolupy, Dolní Němčí, Částkov, Hluk, Horní Němčí, Jalubí, Uherské Hradiště, Korytná, Kunovice, Nedachlebice, Nedakonice, Nezdenice, Nivnice, Ostrožská Lhota, Ostrožská Nová Ves, Pitín, Polešovice, Popovice, Prakšice, Strání, Topolná, Traplice, Tupesy, Uherský Ostroh, Újezdec, Vlčnov, Záhorovice, Břestek, Drslavice, Hostějov, Hostětín, Jankovice, Mistřice, Kněžpole, Kostelany Nad Moravou, Košíky, Kudlovice, Medlovice, Modrá, Pašovice, Podolí, Rudice, Salaš U Velehradu, Slavkov, Staré Hutě, Stupava, Svárov, Šumice, Tučapy, Vápenice, Vážany U Uherského Hradiště, Veletiny, Vyškovec, Zlámanec, Zlechov, Žítková, Suchá Loz, Květná, Osvetimany.

For the broader travel overview: Zlín.