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Villa Tugendhat

Brno Tugendhat Villa in Brno

The second largest city in the Czech Republic is located in the fertile lowlands of South Moravia. Brno is a city where one never feels lost, because despite its size it is intimate and friendly. Its dominant structures are the Gothic castle of Špilberk and the neo-Gothic Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul – even though the two were built 650 years apart.

It is a magical experience to encounter, next to each other, its opulent Baroque churches and modernist exhibition palaces (Brno is the trade fair centre of the Czech Republic), plague monuments, fountains and noblemen’s palaces, a monumental neo-Renaissance theatre and numerous Functionalist gems. One of the most important Functionalist buildings in the world, and one of the most fascinating villas, is the Villa Tugendhat. The UNESCOprotected villa was built in 1930 by the world-renowned architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and is a wonderful example of modern architecture.

Getting there from Prague: 210 km, 2 hrs, 2:40 hrs, 2:50 hrs Brno Lednice-Valtice Complex

Nearby sights: • Slavkov (Austerlitz) Chateau • Moravian Karst www.ticbrno.cz Brno

Valtice

The LedniceValtice Complex Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape

In a romantic landscape lies a unique complex of historic buildings beautifully set in natural surroundings. The majestic Baroque Valtice Chateau is on one side and the stately Lednice Chateau, built in the Tudor Gothic style, is on the other, surrounded by a system of artificial lakes and river channels. In between, there are Chinese gazebos, bridges, romantic summer houses, hunting lodges in the Empire style, a colonnade with beautiful vistas and even a minaret from which there is a splendid view of the countryside; this is the Lednice-Valtice Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Climb onto a bicycle and cross a landscape of wine cellars in a wine-growing micro-region known as the “Blue Mountains” on the Velkopavlovická Wine Trail. www.stezky.cz Getting there from Prague: 255 km, 2:30 hrs, 2:40 hrs Nearby sights: • Pálava Protected Landscape Area • Mikulov Chateau • Valtice Chateau www.jizni-morava.cz