Tuscany minus the crowds
The end of April – beginning of May is traditionally the period when Slovenes depart for Italy (preferably Tuscany or Lake Garda) or to the Balkans to delve into some Yugo-nostalgia while gorging on enormous amounts of grilled meat. Since we both prefer less crowded places (i.e. less people who speak our language) we decided to head in the opposite direction – to Czech Republic, more precisely South Moravia by motorhome.
The region in the south-eastern part of the country is famous for its rolling fields resembling Tuscany. It is becoming increasingly popular with landscape photographers looking for the perfect combination of golden hour sunlight and mist to create amazing shots worthy of a National Geographic feature. This is what I was after.
But, as it so happens, my photography plans and my general travel plans often collide. First, there are simply too many things I want to see and do while on the road so I usually end up at the best photography spots at the wrong time of day. Second, my willingness to leave the warm motorhome bed early in the morning to catch the best sunlight diminishes proportionally with the outside temperatures. And the end of April was unusually cold, mind you.
The fact that I might not have as many amazing shots of the rolling hills and vineyards as I naively imagined, does not reflect the level of amazement I felt discovering this region. It’s the perfect blend of charming towns and stunning scenery lacking the hordes of tourists seen elsewhere. As such it offers great value for money and calls for much longer tours by motorhome than we managed to squeeze into our busy schedules this time.
Lednice
Our first stop was in Lednice, a picturesque town just across the border from Austria. I didn’t know what to expect, I only knew there was a castle worth visiting. But what a castle it is. A Neo-Gothic style masterpiece surrounded by a large park with ponds and some gigantic trees is a captivating sight. When we were there, there was hardly anyone around and the castle itself was closed (only open on weekends). But we could climb the couple hundred steps up to the top of a minaret, built solely for the purpose of enjoying the views of the magnificent park below.
Where to park your motorhome in Lednice:
Hippoclub Lednice Camping sounds like a campsite but it is more like a restaurant with a big garden where you can park your motorhome. Just the way we like it.
Čejkovice
This charming little town is surrounded by beautiful vineyards, which produce some of the country’s finest wines. The town is filled with small wine cellars offering wine tasting and cellar tours. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get on a tour of the most impressive one – the historic Knight Templars Wine Cellar. We did get to taste some wine though, and I got my share of early morning shots in the vineyards just outside of town.
Where to park your motorhome in Čejkovice:
We found an amazing location through the Bezkempu app belonging to the Sykora wine cellar. Would love to stay longer if the weather cooperated a bit.
Brno
It was a grey and rainy Saturday, just perfect for a city stroll in Brno. The city surprised me with its many modern cafes and international restaurants giving it a cosmopolitan vibe which is balanced out by a wealth of well-preserved historical buildings. The stunning St. Peter and Paul Cathedral dominates almost every view while the Špilberk Castle reminded me of Ljubljana somehow.
Where to park your motorhome in Brno:
Even though it’s not allowed to free-camp in the Czech Republic we took a risk and parked in a quiet street next to the golf course in Slavkov u Brna, a small town some 20 km away from Brno. There are no campsites in Brno.
Znojmo
Our last stop was Znojmo, another historic town located only a short distance from the Austrian border. By this point, the combination of castles, churches and cobbled streets surrounded by vineyards already started to repeat itself. Not to say that this diminished the attractiveness of Znojmo in any way. On the contrary, it only added to my fascination with this previously unknown region.
Next to its historic center, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Znojmo is a great starting point to explore the Podyji National Park, which offers several cycling and hiking tours, inclusive of stops at local vineyards and wine cellars.
Where to park your motorhome in Znojmo:
Camp Znojmo is a pleasant campsite just below the town next to the Dyje river.
Five tips to enjoy South Moravia by motorhome
- Download the Bezkempu app – Free camping is not allowed, but if you want to avoid campsites this is a great resource to find quiet scenic places you
- Don’t forget your bicycle – Moravske Vinarske Stezky is a network of over 1200 km of well-marked wine routes intended for cyclists wanting to explore the picturesque countryside, visit local wineries, and sample a variety of wines.
- Try goulash and knedliky – Even though meat is not a regular part of my diet, I would regret trying the traditional goulash with bread dumplings at the Stopkova Plzenske Pivnice in Brno as it was simply delicious.
- Beer – What better way than to wash down a plate of goulash with a glass (or two) of a locally brewed beer?
- Wine – Count the number of times I mentioned vineyards in this post. Need I say more?
Travel-Sehnsucht 