Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape
Encyclopedia
The Lednice
-Valtice
Cultural Landscape (also Lednice-Valtice Area or Lednice-Valtice Complex) is a cultural-natural complex of 283,09 km² in the Czech Republic
, South Moravian Region
, close to Břeclav
and Mikulov
.
The Lednice-Valtice Area is registered in the list of monuments protected as World Heritage by UNESCO
next to another site - Pálava Landscape Protected Area
, registered by UNESCO only a few years prior to the nearby Pálava Biosphere Reserve. Such close proximity of two landscape systems protected by UNESCO is world-unique.
- Valtice
Area. During the 19th century, the Liechtenstein family continued transforming the area, which has since been called the "Garden of Europe", into a large landscape park
with two centres:
In 1715 these two localities were connected by the so-called Bezruč
Avenue. There is also one more village - Hlohovec
. Between Lednice, Valtice and Hlohovec, the Lednice Ponds (Lednické rybníky) are situated, together with Mlýnský, Prostřední, Hlohovecký and Nesyt Ponds. A substantial part of the complex is covered with pines
called the Pine wood (Boří les), and partially with a riparian forest
adjacent to the River Dyje.
Except for above mentioned, there are a lot of bigger or smaller pavilion
s scattered throughout the whole complex, often serving as hunting lodges.:
and the conservatory
of Lednice Park were included in the 1998 World Monuments Watch by the World Monuments Fund
for their deteriorating condition, the result of insufficient financial resources. The Fund had previously studied the preservation of Lednice and Valtice Castles and after 1998 helped restore the Valtice Rendezvous folly as a demonstration project with support from American Express
.
town. This part of land is full of architectural jewels, romantic nooks, unique nature reserves, beautiful place for many activities especially during tourist season.
The Garden of Europe means not only famous Neo-Gothic Chateau Lednice with an extensive park, protected as World Heritage by UNESCO
, but also colourful folklore, the Viticultural Educational Route, hospitable people, and countless curtural events.
Lednice is the best-known tourist destination in south Moravia
. All roads in the Chateau park lead to the Minaret. The galery, 60 metres high, provides a view of the entire Garden of Europe. It is easy to see from this point the magnificent Pálava Hills and Malé Karpaty Mountains
, when weather allows. The whole Lednice-Valtice Area shows many other sightseeings as middle-age castle imitations like Janohrad, the empire temple Apollónův chrám, the classic salet Tři Grácie, and the classic castle Rybniční zámeček. All of these sightseeings are connected by a network of bike roads located in wooded area.
Lednice
Lednice is a village in South Moravia in the Czech Republic. In 1996 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "an exceptional example of the designed landscape that evolved in the Enlightenment and afterwards under the care of a single family." It contains a palace and the largest...
-Valtice
Valtice
The town of Valtice in the Czech Republic contains one of the most impressive Baroque residences of Central Europe. It was designed as the seat of the ruling princes of Liechtenstein by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach in the early 18th century. Construction was supervised by Domenico...
Cultural Landscape (also Lednice-Valtice Area or Lednice-Valtice Complex) is a cultural-natural complex of 283,09 km² in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, South Moravian Region
South Moravian Region
South Moravian Region is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located in the south-western part of its historical region of Moravia, with exception of Jobova Lhota, that belongs to Bohemia. Its capital is Brno the 2nd largest city of the Czech Republic. The region is famous for its wine...
, close to Břeclav
Breclav
Břeclav is a town in the South Moravian Region, Czech Republic, approximately 55 km southeast of Brno. It is located at the border with Lower Austria on the Dyje River. The nearest large town on Austrian territory is Hohenau an der March...
and Mikulov
Mikulov
Mikulov is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic with a population of 7,608 . It is located directly on the border with Lower Austria. Mikulov is located at the edge of a hilly area and the three Nové Mlýny reservoirs...
.
The Lednice-Valtice Area is registered in the list of monuments protected as World Heritage by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
next to another site - Pálava Landscape Protected Area
Pálava Landscape Protected Area
The Pálava Landscape Protected Area is a landscape protected area and UNESCO biosphere reserve located in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic, on the border with Austria. This unique area was originally recognized by UNESCO in 1986 and expanded in 2003 to include another UNESCO site,...
, registered by UNESCO only a few years prior to the nearby Pálava Biosphere Reserve. Such close proximity of two landscape systems protected by UNESCO is world-unique.
History and description
At the end of the 18th century, the local manor lordship - the House of Liechtenstein - began to create a unique manmade landscape complex - The LedniceLednice
Lednice is a village in South Moravia in the Czech Republic. In 1996 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "an exceptional example of the designed landscape that evolved in the Enlightenment and afterwards under the care of a single family." It contains a palace and the largest...
- Valtice
Valtice
The town of Valtice in the Czech Republic contains one of the most impressive Baroque residences of Central Europe. It was designed as the seat of the ruling princes of Liechtenstein by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach in the early 18th century. Construction was supervised by Domenico...
Area. During the 19th century, the Liechtenstein family continued transforming the area, which has since been called the "Garden of Europe", into a large landscape park
Landscape park
Landscape park may refer to:* Landscape Park , a type of designated natural area in Poland* Landscape garden...
with two centres:
- Valtice Castle (and contiguous townValticeThe town of Valtice in the Czech Republic contains one of the most impressive Baroque residences of Central Europe. It was designed as the seat of the ruling princes of Liechtenstein by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach in the early 18th century. Construction was supervised by Domenico...
) - Lednice Castle (and contiguous villageLedniceLednice is a village in South Moravia in the Czech Republic. In 1996 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "an exceptional example of the designed landscape that evolved in the Enlightenment and afterwards under the care of a single family." It contains a palace and the largest...
)
In 1715 these two localities were connected by the so-called Bezruč
Petr Bezruc
Petr Bezruč was the pseudonym of Vladimír Vašek , a Czech poet and short story writer who was associated with the region of Austrian Silesia.Bezruč was born in Opava and died in Olomouc.- Works :Poetry...
Avenue. There is also one more village - Hlohovec
Hlohovec (Břeclav District)
Hlohovec is a village in Břeclav District, South Moravian Region, Czech Republic. It has a population of 1,297 .- External links :...
. Between Lednice, Valtice and Hlohovec, the Lednice Ponds (Lednické rybníky) are situated, together with Mlýnský, Prostřední, Hlohovecký and Nesyt Ponds. A substantial part of the complex is covered with pines
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
called the Pine wood (Boří les), and partially with a riparian forest
Riparian forest
A riparian forest is a forested area of land adjacent to a body of water such as a river, stream, pond, lake, marshland, estuary, canal, sink or reservoir. -Etymology:...
adjacent to the River Dyje.
Except for above mentioned, there are a lot of bigger or smaller pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
s scattered throughout the whole complex, often serving as hunting lodges.:
- Rajsna (German: Reistna, The Colonnade)
- a ClassicistNeoclassical architectureNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
colonnadeColonnadeIn classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building....
on the top of a hill ridge above ValticeValticeThe town of Valtice in the Czech Republic contains one of the most impressive Baroque residences of Central Europe. It was designed as the seat of the ruling princes of Liechtenstein by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach in the early 18th century. Construction was supervised by Domenico...
(like a glorietteGlorietteA gloriette is a building in a garden erected on a site that is elevated with respect to the surroundings...
) from 1810s-1820s - Belvedere
- Rendezvous (or Temple of Diana)
- a hunting lodge in a form of a ClassicistNeoclassical architectureNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
archArchAn arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
from 1810s - St Hubert Chapel (Kaple svatého Huberta)
- a Neo-Gothic column structure from 1850s dedicated to the patron saint of huntersHubertusSaint Hubertus or Hubert , called the "Apostle of the Ardennes" was the first Bishop of Liège...
, situated in the Pine wood - Border House (Hraniční zámeček)
- a ClassicistNeoclassical architectureNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
chateauChâteauA château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
built in 1820s directly on the former (until 1920) bordline between Lower AustriaLower AustriaLower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
and MoraviaMoraviaMoravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region... - Temple of the Three Graces (Tři Grácie)
- a semicircle gallery with allegorical statues of Sciences and Muses and a statue of the Three GracesCharitesIn Greek mythology, a Charis is one of several Charites , goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility. They ordinarily numbered three, from youngest to oldest: Aglaea , Euphrosyne , and Thalia . In Roman mythology they were known as the Gratiae, the "Graces"...
from 1820s - Pond House (Rybniční zámeček)
- ashore of one of the Lednice Ponds - Nový dvůr (German: Neuhof, New Farm) - a ClassicistNeoclassical architectureNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
farmFarmA farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
finished in 1809, originally used for sheep husbandrySheep husbandrySheep husbandry is a subcategory of animal husbandry specifically dealing with the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. Sheep farming is primarily based on raising lambs for meat, or raising sheep for wool. Sheep may also be raised for milk or to sell to other farmers.-Shelter and...
, nowadays for horse breedingHorse breedingHorse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses... - ApolloApolloApollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
Temple (Apollónův chrám)
- a ClassicistNeoclassical architectureNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
hunting lodge from 1810s, ashore of one of the Lednice Ponds - Hunting Lodge (Lovecký zámeček)
- a ClassicistNeoclassical architectureNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
house from 1806 - John's Castle (Janohrad)
- a Neo-Gothic "artificial ruins" in style of a castleCastleA castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, finished in 1810 - Minaret
- a Moorish RevivalMoorish RevivalMoorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of the Romanticist fascination with all things oriental...
structure (62 m high) in the Lednice Castle garden (finished in 1804), it serves as an observation towerObservation towerAn observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision. They are usually at least tall and made from stone, iron, and wood. Many modern towers are also used as TV towers, restaurants, or churches... - Obelisk
- erected in memory of the peace treaty of Campo FormioTreaty of Campo FormioThe Treaty of Campo Formio was signed on 18 October 1797 by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Philipp von Cobenzl as representatives of revolutionary France and the Austrian monarchy...
(1798) - Pohansko
- an Empire-styleEmpire (style)The Empire style, , sometimes considered the second phase of Neoclassicism, is an early-19th-century design movement in architecture, furniture, other decorative arts, and the visual arts followed in Europe and America until around 1830, although in the U. S. it continued in popularity in...
hunting lodge finished after 1812, it houses an exhibition of BřeclavBreclavBřeclav is a town in the South Moravian Region, Czech Republic, approximately 55 km southeast of Brno. It is located at the border with Lower Austria on the Dyje River. The nearest large town on Austrian territory is Hohenau an der March...
Town Museum:
close to the lodge there are both an important archaeological site of Great MoraviaGreat MoraviaGreat Moravia was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe and lasted for nearly seventy years in the 9th century whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks. It was a vassal state of the Germanic Frankish kingdom and paid an annual tribute to it. There is some controversy as...
n remains and reconstructed parts of the Czechoslovak border fortificationsCzechoslovak border fortificationsThe Czechoslovak government built a system of border fortifications from 1935 to 1938 as a defensive countermeasure against the rising threat of Nazi Germany that later materialized in the German offensive plan called Fall Grün... - Lány
- an Empire-styleEmpire (style)The Empire style, , sometimes considered the second phase of Neoclassicism, is an early-19th-century design movement in architecture, furniture, other decorative arts, and the visual arts followed in Europe and America until around 1830, although in the U. S. it continued in popularity in...
hunting lodge from the beginning of the 19th century
Preservation
The garden folliesFolly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
and the conservatory
Conservatory
Conservatory may refer to the following:*Conservatory , a large, highly detailed residential solarium or a greenhouse where plants are cultivated*Music school or a school devoted to other arts such as dance...
of Lednice Park were included in the 1998 World Monuments Watch by the World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and training....
for their deteriorating condition, the result of insufficient financial resources. The Fund had previously studied the preservation of Lednice and Valtice Castles and after 1998 helped restore the Valtice Rendezvous folly as a demonstration project with support from American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
.
Lednice-Valtice Area
The Garden of Europe spreads in the warmest place of the Czech Republic area close to MikulovMikulov
Mikulov is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic with a population of 7,608 . It is located directly on the border with Lower Austria. Mikulov is located at the edge of a hilly area and the three Nové Mlýny reservoirs...
town. This part of land is full of architectural jewels, romantic nooks, unique nature reserves, beautiful place for many activities especially during tourist season.
The Garden of Europe means not only famous Neo-Gothic Chateau Lednice with an extensive park, protected as World Heritage by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, but also colourful folklore, the Viticultural Educational Route, hospitable people, and countless curtural events.
Lednice is the best-known tourist destination in south Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
. All roads in the Chateau park lead to the Minaret. The galery, 60 metres high, provides a view of the entire Garden of Europe. It is easy to see from this point the magnificent Pálava Hills and Malé Karpaty Mountains
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
, when weather allows. The whole Lednice-Valtice Area shows many other sightseeings as middle-age castle imitations like Janohrad, the empire temple Apollónův chrám, the classic salet Tři Grácie, and the classic castle Rybniční zámeček. All of these sightseeings are connected by a network of bike roads located in wooded area.