In the mid-13th century, Lednice passed into the hands of the Liechtenstein family where it remained until 1945. It is a wine-growing village in the Mikulov wine-growing sub-region (vineyards include Končiny, Terraces, U Červená studánky, Hlohovsko, Ve staré, Na Valtické, Farské). Lednice is located about 10 km northwest of Břeclav and 14 km east of Mikulov. The village also includes the settlement of Nejdek.

The Lednice-Valtice area has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1996. The chateau and other buildings in Lednice are open from April through November. From April through September you can also get to Lednice by boat, moored in Břeclav or Janohrad. The village also houses the Faculty of Horticulture of Mendel University in Brno, whose employees and students have contributed significantly to the reconstruction of the chateau park and the greenhouse.

Lednice is first mentioned in written sources in 1222 as a mansion. In the middle of the 13th century, it became the property of the Liechtenstein family. The renowned art collector, Baron Hartman II from Liechtenstein (+1585) sold Lednice after his marriage to Princess Anne of Ortenburk, but bought back in 1575. It belonged to the family until 1945, when their estate was nationalized.

In the 16th century, the local vicarage was Czech Brethren. The Catholic faith was reintroduced in 1601 by Charles I of Liechtenstein.

Comparison of detailed historical maps shows that a small southeastern part of the area of Lednice belonged to Lower Austria as part of the area of Charvátská Nová Ves until 1920, within the so-called Valtice area. The land in question became part of the Lednice area only during the second half of the 20th century.

After the Second World War, the former settlements were displaced in what was originally a predominantly German village.

Lednice Castle

A Renaissance chateau surrounded by a garden was built on the site of an original Gothic fortress from 1544–1585. The chateau was rebuilt in the Baroque style at the end of the 17th century. From this reconstruction, the architecture of the riding stables and the stables on the western side of the chateau complex was preserved – the work of J. B. Fischer of Erlach. From 1766–1772, the chateau was rebuilt in the Classicist style and in 1815 the chateau buildings were rebuilt in the Empire style. The present appearance of the chateau, in the Neo-Gothic style, comes from the last reconstruction started in 1846 according to the designs of J. Wingelmüller and completed in 1858 by J. Heidrich. The reconstruction preserved the ground plan of the chateau and concentrated primarily on the facades and in the decoration of the chateau interiors. The parish church of St. James the Elder is incorporated in the chateau complex.

For more information visit www.zamek-lednice.com and Virtual tour 

Palm Greenhouse

The greenhouse was built on the eastern side of the chateau between 1843–1845 according to designs by the English architect P. H. Desvignes. About 250 species of tropical and subtropical plants are grown in the greenhouse and create a divide between the parterre and natural landscape sections of the chateau park.

Chateau park

The park was first documented in the mid-16th century. Starting in the 1830s, it was gradually transformed into a Baroque park equipped with a sculpture-accessible ramp north of the chateau facade. At the end of the 19th century, the Classicist landscaping of the park took place, culminating in a romantic transformation from 1805 to 1811 according to designs by the architect Fanti into a natural landscaped park designed on the basis of compositional views. The Thaya River was bound to a system of canals and ponds, and the islands were connected by bridges. The last reconstruction of the chateau park took place from 1884–1887, when the parterre part was modified according to the plans of the architect Michelli into the neo-baroque French style with regular axial formation of cut shrubs with fountains and ancient statues and fragments. The park is important for the study of trees (dendrology), with 112 species of conifers and 462 species of deciduous trees.

Minaret

A Romantic building from 1797–1802 built in the Moorish style according to a project by J. L. Hardtmuth. The Minaret is 60 meters tall. From the tower you can enjoy a view of John's Castle (Janův hrad) and the surroundings.

John's Castle (Janohrad)

A romantic imitation of a castle ruin built in 1807, designed by J. L. Hardtmuth. The building is stylishly modified and accessible and contains ornithological and hunting exhibitions of the National Agricultural Museum in Lednice. This also serves as a wedding venue.

Virtual tour

Hunting lodge

Was built from 1805-1806 according to a design by J. L. Hardtmuth. It is a classicist two-story building with a façade on the ground floor with three arcades. On the first floor is a loggia surrounded by six Tuscan columns on prismatic pedestals. There is a semi-circular arcade under the loggia. The building served as a gamekeeper's lodge and the hunt could be watched from the terrace.

Border castle

The chateau was built between 1816 and 1827 directly on the then provincial border between the Moravian Margraviate and Lower Austria. The castle now houses a hotel and restaurant.

source: Wikipedia.org and Lednice.cz