Strange coexistence of the Czech Republic and Moravia. What to see from South Moravia (Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia)

What historical changes have taken place in the region of Moravia over the centuries? How many powers have changed on the territory of this land and what does Moravia look like today? Which castle located in the middle of the English natural park and their appearance reminiscent of a medieval feudal dwelling, is a striking landmark of Moravia? In what corners of Moravia can you find houses with thatched roofs and huts?

Mora?via (Czech. Morava), a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic. The first settlements on the territory of Moravia date back to the early Paleolithic. Around 400 BC, Moravia was inhabited by the Celts, who were supplanted at the beginning of our era by the Germanic tribes of Marcomanni and Quadi. In the middle of the first millennium, the Moravian Slavs began to settle here, which in the 6th-7th centuries became the predominant population. In 623-658 Moravia was part of the Slavic Principality of Samo. In the 9th - early 10th centuries, Moravia became the basis for the Great Moravian state, the main centers of this state were located in South Moravia. Since 1029, Moravia became part of the power of the Czech Přemyslids; during the period of feudal fragmentation, it broke up into a number of specific principalities.

The famous psychologist and psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud was Czech. He was born in 1856 in the Moravian town of Freiberg.

After the establishment of Christianity on the Catholic model in Moravia, the Olomouc diocese was established (1069). In 1182, Moravia became a margraviate within the Holy Roman Empire. Since that time, the German colonization of the region began. From 1197, the margraviate of Moravia became subject to the authority of the Czech king. In the 13th century in Moravia there was a rise in crafts, the growth of cities, the formation of urban and local authorities self-government, the Moravian Sejm, which received final registration in the 14-16 centuries. In the first half of the 15th century, Moravian peasants and townspeople actively participated in the Hussite movement. At the beginning of the 16th century, Reformation doctrines spread in Moravia, primarily Lutheranism and Anabaptism.

In 1526 the Habsburgs established themselves on the Czech throne. After the defeat of the anti-Habsburg Czech uprising of 1618-1620, Catholic reaction and Germanization intensified in Moravia. In 1628, the rights of local governments were curtailed, the Sejm lost its significance: Moravia actually turned into one of the provinces of the Habsburg Empire. In 1782, it was united with Austrian Silesia into one administrative unit with the center in the city of Brno, in 1849 it was separated into a special crown land. By the beginning of the 20th century, Moravia was one of the most industrialized regions of Austria-Hungary. The cities of Ostrava, Brno, Zlin became the largest industrial centers. Since 1918, Moravia became part of the Czechoslovak Republic. In 1938, the border regions of Moravia were torn away by Germany.

North Moravia is famous for its spas. The most famous is the Jesenik resort. He was glorified by the local native Vincenz Prysnitz, a world-famous folk healer and the founder of hydrotherapy, the so-called Prysnitz compresses.

The part of Moravia that remained in Czechoslovakia was occupied by Germany in 1939 and included in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. It was liberated from the German invaders by the Soviet troops in April - May 1945. After the administrative-territorial reform of 1949, most of Moravia became part of the North Moravian and South Moravian regions, which, according to the 1969 constitution, were part of the Czech Socialist Republic. After the partition of Czechoslovakia in 1993, Moravia remained part of the Czech Republic.

Moravia is the most beautiful region of the Czech Republic, amazing place, where the cultural folk heritage and traditions have been preserved, located in the southeast Czech Republic. Apart from amazing nature and picturesque landscapes Moravia is famous for its monuments of the past. The trip to Moravia will start with a visit to Lednice Castle, the center of the Valtice-Lednice cultural area protected by UNESCO. The first mention of Lednice dates back to the 13th century. South side The Moravian Highlands has its own unique microclimate with air temperature in summer - 30-36 degrees C and water temperature - 22-24 degrees C. It is here that the best grape varieties grow, which later become famous Moravian wines.

The town of Vizovice in eastern Moravia became famous for its plums, more precisely, plum distillate - slivovitz - which Rudolf Jelinek began distilling at the local distillery in the 18th century. Also closely associated with Eastern Moravia are "frgaly" - large pies, often with cottage cheese or jam.

A striking landmark of Moravia is Lednice Castle, which is located in the middle of an English natural park and with its appearance resembles a medieval feudal dwelling. The culture of Moravian winemaking has a rich history, which you will get to know by visiting the wine cellars of the baroque Valtice castle after visiting Lednice Castle. In the ancient cellars, where castle wines were aging already in the 17th century, you will not only get acquainted with the history of Czech winemaking, but also taste the best Moravian wines. Of great interest are the carved staircase in the library and the ceiling of the Blue Salon, the wooden carvings of which are considered the most beautiful neo-Gothic work in central Europe.

Northern Moravia, as well as Silesia and Central Moravia, occupy not too large area(relative to our open spaces, of course). However, in North Moravia, the number of castles, castles, small picturesque villages is so great that it is difficult to say how much time you need to spend in North Moravia to see all this. And to see North Moravia is definitely worth it. Only in North Moravia are there such picturesque villages with traces of folk art. For example, in Rymnice (Central Moravia) there are houses with thatched roofs and huts ( wooden houses, smeared on the outside with clay).

In Moravian Olomouc, you can see the Cathedral of St. Wenceslas. Its organ was created back in Romantic times and is considered one of the best Czech organs of this period. Also special attention deserves a bowl in which visitors leave donations: it is decorated with diamonds.

In any of these villages in Northern Moravia, fans of agritourism are sure to find a haven. Moreover, they will be attracted not only by the beauty of Northern Moravia, but also by the richest opportunities for fishing("trout rivers"), a pheasant reserve, as well as horse breeding and trails for equestrian tourism. Those who for some reason prefer to relax in the bosom of civilization will definitely like North Moravia too. Numerous ancient castles and castles in Northern Moravia are decorated with unique designs of various architectural styles(Castles Radun, Bruntal, Sovinets, Shtramberska pipe).

For example, the city of Bouzov (Central Moravia) is a living illustration of a fairy tale. Stenberk Castle, in addition to the Gothic-Renaissance monuments of architecture, is proud of its unique museum of monuments of Northern Moravia. North Moravia has hundreds of churches, monasteries, pilgrimage sites and chapels. In addition, in North Moravia there are unique wooden churches located in the countryside (Gruna, Huty, Dolni Markovice, Bila, etc.). But that's not all. North Moravia is the land of spas

In North Moravia there are Karlova Studanka, Lipova Lazne, Velké Losiny, Klimkovice and other resorts that are popular both in the Czech Republic and abroad. If you are as healthy as a hundred astronauts, then an active holiday in North Moravia is just right for you. Northern Moravia with the Beskids and Jeseniki mountains provides excellent conditions for hiking. And the numerous cycling trails piercing North Moravia in all possible directions will be to the taste of cyclists. By the way, the Amber Stitch, the Silesian Highway, the Jihlava - Cesky Tesin route, as well as international bicycle routes pass through North Moravia. And of course Mountain landscape North Moravia is unthinkable without

I spent about 2 years in Moravia. For me, this is the most native corner of the Czech Republic. In Russia, Bohemia with Karlovy Vary, Prague and Pilsen is very popular. But believe me, there is something to see in Morava too: from the beautiful Lednice castle to the wine museum (Moravia can be called the wine part of the Czech Republic). One of my acquaintances visits in the Czech Republic exclusively city ​​of Olomouc which is located in Moravia. There are no others for him. And I would advise everyone to go to Brno, Olomouc, Mikulov, Slavkov. But I will talk about their attractions a little later.

How to get there

Czech Moravia is located in the south of the Czech Republic and borders on Slovakia and Austria. The capital of Moravia is Brno. It has a bus and railway stations as well as the airport. So you can get to Moravia by plane, by train and by bus. From centers such as Bratislava and Brno, it's only a 2-3 hour journey.

By the way, in Moravia you can buy package tour, with flight, transfer, hotel and insurance - more details in the Trevelask section.

By plane

Previously, direct flights from Moscow to Brno were offered by Transaero. Unfortunately, this option does not currently exist. Now Lufthansa will take you from the capital of Russia to the main airport Brno - Turany. True, the cost of a ticket will cost at least 30 thousand rubles. Flights are carried out daily.

It will be possible to fly from St. Petersburg to Turany airport in Brno with transfers by the same company as from Moscow.

It is convenient to monitor prices on various aggregator sites and, for example, in the Trevelask section.

From the airport, buses 76 and 89 will take you to the center of Brno. The stop is located opposite the main entrance of Turany. Travel time will take from 20 minutes. The cost of a ticket for an adult will cost around 75 rubles (25 koruna / 1 euro) one way.

The cost of a taxi from the airport to the center of Brno will be within 1000 rubles (300 koruna / 13 euros).

By train

Unfortunately, there is no direct train to Brno from Moscow. But there is from Moscow to Prague. About 27 hours on the way. The cost is within 11,000 rubles one way. Departs every Friday from Belorussky railway station. It will be possible to buy a ticket to the capital of southern Moravia at the Prague railway station. The cost is about 200 koruna (600 rubles / 8 euros). Travel time from 2.5 to 3 hours. Trains run every hour. You can also buy a ticket on the website of Czech railways.

You can also get to Prague from St. Petersburg. Every Thursday a train departs from the Pulkovo station, and in 30-35 hours you are there. The cost in a compartment starts from 13,000 rubles.

Brno railway station is located in the very center of the city at ul. Nadrazhni 418/1. From it you can walk to Freedom Square (the central square of the city) in 5 minutes. Also near railway station the shopping center Brno - Vankovka is located.

By bus

From the Rizhsky railway station in Moscow, you can get to the Florenc bus station in Prague, which is located at Kzhizhikova 6. The journey will take about 2 days. The cost of a one-way ticket is from 8000 rubles. Buses run every day. At the bus station Florence for 210 korunas (3 euros) you can buy a bus ticket and get to Brno in 2.5 hours. The Brno bus station on Benešová street is a minute's walk from the railway station. That is also in the very center of Brno. Opposite you will see the famous Grand Hotel.

Buses run daily to Prague from Florence bus station and from St. Vitebsk railway station. More than a day on the road. The cost is approximately 8000 rubles one way.

By car

From Moscow to Brno - 1843 km. By car it will take about a day. The route runs through, Warsaw, Lodz to Brno.

The route from St. Petersburg: through, Latvia, Lithuania, Warsaw, Lodz and Brno. The distance will be less than from Moscow - 1724 km.

Of the minuses - long, expensive, and you also need to have an international driver's license with a document confirming the ownership of the car.

From the pros - you can admire Belarus and Poland on the way. Your own boss :)

By ferry

There is no way to get there.

Clue:

Moravia - the time is now

Hour difference:

Moscow 2

Kazan 2

Samara 3

Yekaterinburg 4

Novosibirsk 6

Vladivostok 9

When is the season. When is the best time to go

Moravia - monthly weather

Clue:

Moravia - monthly weather

Main attractions. What to see

Top 5

One of the most beautiful castles in the Morava, and perhaps in the whole of the Czech Republic, can be found in Lednice. According to research by the Czech tourism agency in 2015, it has become the most visited place in the Czech Republic. Best time for a visit in the summer, when the palace parks appear in all their glory. Or in autumn to taste young wine.

The second most famous place in the Morava, I would call the castle in Kromerir.

Located 30 km from Brno. The castle did not impress me much compared to Lednice, but if you have time, why not visit the place where Forman's film Amadeus was filmed. The historical part of Kromeriz is also interesting to visit.

From school we know about a place like Austerlitz. So, today this place is called Slavkov and is located on the Morava. You will have the opportunity to visit the places where the great battle of the 3 emperors took place. Commemorate fallen soldiers at the Peace Grave Monument. And also take a walk around the castle of Slavkov, where Napoleon concluded a truce with defeated opponents. I think history buffs should appreciate this place.

I would also like to mention the city of Velegrad. You don't often see it in travel brochures. But it was here from 863 to 866. famous Cyril and Methodius lived. Methodius is buried here. So you can mark this place of pilgrimage for religious people and admirers of the Slavic peoples.

Therefore, I suggest visiting the Moravian Kras. This is a nature reserve, which is located 30 minutes from Brno, where you can see 5 unusual beautiful caves. Such Kungur caves Europe. I do not advise to go in the summer because of the abundance of tourists.

Holidays

Many holidays are celebrated in Moravia, even May 1, like ours. But I noticed that the most favorite for Czechs in both regions are Christmas and Easter.

A month before them, fairs open in Czech cities where you can enjoy local dishes, as well as buy interesting souvenirs made by local craftsmen. I would like to note that nowhere did I drink mulled wine tastier than at these fairs, and the quality of food is at a good level. Celebrations are held in the squares. But on Christmas Day itself, the streets are empty. I remember how I rushed to the city center that day in anticipation of festive events, and saw an empty dark square and a couple of onlookers. All cafes and restaurants are closed. Of course, it differs greatly from the celebration of our New Year, when crowds appear on the street after the chiming clock.

What else would you like to say about Christmas in the Czech Republic? They don't have any Santa Claus or our Santa Claus. The character they have associated with Christmas is called Jeziszk. An important dish on the table on this day is a dish of carp. And for good luck, a dream about a golden pig is considered.

Of the features of Easter, it should be noted that this is not at all a religious holiday for the Czechs, but just an opportunity to relax and unwind. At Easter you can try a special green beer. For my taste, it is not particularly different from the usual. But since I am not a beer gourmet, I will not impose my opinion. Attention should be paid to girls, as on this day you can be whipped with a willow stick. And absolutely any man can do it. The Czechs have a belief that this is for health and beauty.

Safety. What to watch out for

South Moravia absolutely safe place for tourists. I prefer to travel alone, and so, I can state that during all the time of my adventures in Moravia, nothing criminal happened to me. And it happened that I left at 3 am from the empty station.

My roommate ran without fear at night to Tesk (shopping center) for food in Brno. So I advise you not to be afraid to travel through the provincial, Czech Moravia.

True, the Czechs themselves do not advise visiting areas with a large concentration of the gypsy population, such as, for example, one of the central districts of Brno - Zeil. But there is nothing for tourists to see here, since this place does not belong to the historical part of the city.

Things to do

I will tell you about shopping and nightlife in Moravia.

Shopping and shops

One of the largest stores is the Vankovka shopping center in Brno, which is located next to the railway station. Here you can buy brands such as Bershka, Calzedonia, H&M, Lacoste, New Yorker, Tommy Hilfiger and many others.

But the biggest shopping center in Moravia is still Olympia. It is located outside the city. You can get to it on a special free bus from Vankovka. Travel time will be 15 minutes. In Olympia, it is easy to get lost or wander for hours.

Sales in Morava take place after Christmas, at the end of summer. Each store regulates this process itself. The main thing is not to miss the word left / leva on the storefront.

Clubs and nightlife

To be honest, I have only visited clubs in the Morava in Brno. Since the city can be called a student city, it is not surprising that night life quite active here. There is no dress code, this is Europe, and here such Russian trends are not held in high esteem. Clubs start active on Friday and end on Sunday. Working hours: from 21 to 5 am. The cost of tickets can be from 100 korunas (about 3.5 euros, about 300 rubles) on average. Cheap beer will be around 100 rubles per 0.5 liter (1 euro or 30 korun). Cocktails will be from 240 rubles (from 1 euro for a beer and from 3 for a cocktail).

It should be noted that all the main clubs are located in the city center - Two Faces, Livingstone, Metro.

Souvenirs. What to bring as a gift

Souvenirs from the Czech Republic are beer mugs, puppet dolls, the famous mole and banal calendars with magnets, Becherovka, etc. All this can be bought in any part of the Czech Republic. But specifically Moravia includes wine souvenirs in the form of bottles of local wine, and Starobrno beer is also produced here. The price is around 30 rubles per bottle.

How to move around the region

Only 500 thousand people live in the capital of South Moravia, so you can imagine how many people can be found in other smaller towns on the Morava. Therefore, public transport in some towns can be tight, but in most cases you will find a bus anyway. Brno itself has a well-developed network of trams (shalin), as well as trolleybuses and buses.

You can buy tickets at the yellow terminals at bus stops, at the newsstand, grocery stores with a potravina sign and at the driver himself (it will be more expensive).

A ticket costs from 20 to 90 korunas (60-270 rubles / 0.8 - 3.5 euros). But you need to remember that it is designed for a minimum time of 15 minutes to a maximum of 24 hours. So if you bought a ticket for 15 minutes, punched it, drove your time, but have not yet reached the goal, you still have to leave. I would strongly not recommend joking with controllers in Moravia, since it is very easy to get a fine here of 1000 korunas (3000 rubles / 40 euros) or 500 korunas (20 euros) if you paid right away on the spot. Children under 6 travel free of charge public transport. Categories of beneficiaries for whom tickets will be cheaper include schoolchildren, students and pensioners.

I would also like to draw your attention to the zones. So, for example, the capital of Moravia - Brno, is divided into 2 zones: 100 and 101. When you leave one zone for another, and you have a ticket for only one, you can again get yourself a fine. So pay attention to those things too.

Of the advantages of transport in the Czech Republic in Eastern Moravia, it can be noted that it regularly runs at night. On the stands near the bus stops you can always find detailed information about the routes that a particular type of public transport passes.

There are also travel tickets, which are lasting from 5 days to a year. Buying them is cheaper than tickets, especially if you are a student. The travel card is a card on which your photo is glued. So do not think about the possibility of transferring such a ticket to a 3rd person.

I would like to ask everyone to buy tickets and not try to ride a hare in public transport, as they often check here. But if you didn’t buy a ticket and got caught, then it’s better to pay a fine on the spot, so it will be 2 times cheaper.

If you prefer independence and mobility, you can look at the options and prices for car rental.

The Czech Republic is famous for its beautiful nature and centuries of history. Part of the south of the country is occupied by the amazingly beautiful lands of South Moravia. This is a fertile land of vineyards, green hills and ancient castles.

It is at the word "Morava" that the inhabitants of Prague roll their eyes and dreamily sigh in admiration. Hundreds of Praguers visit South Moravia in spring and summer to take bike tours of the local beauties, and in autumn to taste the best Czech wine.

The South Moravian Region, with its capital in Brno, is part of the vast territory of Moravia, which extends in the north from Poland and the Czech part of Silesia, in the east - from Slovakia, in the south - Lower Austria, in the west - Bohemia. Great Moravia was a powerful state in the 9th century. It included the southeast of the Czech Republic, the west of Slovakia and the lands along the Vistula. Under the pressure of the Magyars in 907, the Great Moravian Principality fell.

The Moravian region is steeped in history, and South Moravia even more so. Archaeologists discover here the sites of ancient people. In the monastery of the city of Velehrad, you can bow to the memory of the baptizers of the Czech land - Cyril and Methodius. Palaces and castles keep the memory of the noblest families of Europe. Today, in interiors designed for the richest people, yours can also pass.

But South Moravia is known not only for historical records. Nature has created amazing creations here: the network of caves of the Moravian Karst with the Macocha abyss, the depth of which is 138.4 meters, the confluence of the Morava and Dyji rivers, the Palava biosphere reserve, beech forests. And what amazingly blue distances here, which become especially transparent at sunset, slowly sinking into the horizon like a huge red apple!

I think that few people who are interested landscape photography, I did not see pictures taken in South Moravia on the net.
And few wine lovers have hardly ever heard of this region (more than 90% of the Czech vineyards are concentrated here)
Although, by the way, as it turned out during this time, some believe that Moravia is some kind of exotic country.
Actually this scenic region in the southeast of the Czech Republic, on the border with Austria and Slovakia, and the photos from there, seen on the net, often look fantastic.
In general, I wanted to see all this with my own eyes. But not only to see, but also to shoot.

First time in Moravia (or whatever it is called) locals Morava) I visited in the spring of 2014, at the very end of April with a small company of like-minded people.
Just sit down and go. Well, then - I went on my own two more times in the fall of last year.
This year I want to visit twice in the spring: at the beginning of April and at the end. Well, again in the fall several times, if everything goes well.
By the way - in November 2014 the temperature was up to +17 degrees.
Pure spring: the grass is green, the sun is shining ... We were quite lucky with the weather.

But returning to Moravia itself - it is not for nothing that it is called "Czech Tuscany. Some places are somewhat similar to each other. With interesting reliefs, geometry, and so on.
By the way, as one of the participants of the trips said, Moravia is much closer than Tuscany and no worse.
There is something to see and something to shoot.

Speaking of shooting: for these places a telephoto lens is simply necessary. Almost all the scenes were shot at a focal length over 200mm.
And something at 600mm.
But such focal lengths (600mm) are not always, of course, needed. Basically, all scenes are shot at a focal length within 300-400mm.

By the way, Morava is not only continuous fields.
In fact, architecture lovers can find a lot for themselves, for example: the castle in the town of Slavkov (Austerlitz) near Brno, which became well-known thanks to the Napoleonic battle in 1805, known as the battle of Austerlitz.. The castle in Milotice, the border town of Mikulov … small town Vranov over Dyi, over which rises the famous castle

Livestock in the fields - in abundance. Several times a day you can always see roe deer and hares. In autumn, a fox somehow got into the frame.

In general - judge for yourself ...

Landscape with deer.
From this shot in the spring of 2014, our acquaintance with Moravia began. We stopped at a gas station to take a break, and then the sun came out.
Everyone immediately grabbed the cameras.
Well, later, already at home - a "flock" of roe deer was seen in the right corner of the frame

A typical view for those places. Shot taken from the side of the road
Variable cloudiness, coupled with the light walking along the slope, favorably emphasizes the features of the relief.

The terrain is mostly hilly, in some places there are large elevation differences.
But what is surprising - for three trips there was only one foggy weather.
The small town of Bukovane and the hotel Bukovansky Mlyn (mlyn is a mill)
In the spring, due to heavy haze, this species was not available.October 2014

For me, first of all, I was interested in the endless Moravian fields, which have quite diverse colors in spring and autumn, as well as containing interesting geometric patterns, lines, etc.

Sometimes the relief and the pattern on the fields complement each other favorably.
The first association that came to my mind when I saw such a relief and field structure was connected with velveteen.
True, tram tracks are guessed by some;)

Well, then - why not a tsunami?

Chapel of St. Barbara.
A place that pops up quite often on the web.
Few photographers leave him unattended.
The first frame - April 2014, the second - October 2014, the third frame - November 2014 (autumn is very warm there)
By the way, the fields are cyclically reseeded. It is not a fact that if rapeseed blooms in one place this spring, it will remain in the same place next year.
And there is really a sea of ​​rapeseed fields there ....

Due to the difference in heights and due to some features of shooting with a telephoto lens, places sometimes look just fantastic.
The hills seem to be very high.
Well, the play of light and shadows give them some zest.

Although in those parts there is the notorious Palava Upland, where the elevation changes are already significant.

Enough in those parts and various living creatures: hares, roe deer, deer.
Hares are the scourge of vineyards, they destroy young shoots to the root.
The hares there are not like ours. They are really big. And very fat ...

Well, roe deer - they come across several times a day.
On the same nail hung a picture, in the lower corner of which was a small red rooster.
And Malysh remembered that Carlson was the best painter of roosters in the world: after all, it was he who painted the portrait of a “very lonely rooster,” as the inscription on the picture indicated.
Indeed, this rooster was much redder and much lonelier than all the roosters that Baby had seen so far……..” October 2014.

As I wrote above, over 90% of the country's vineyards are concentrated in Moravia.
And they can also be of some interest for shooting.

Architecture lovers also have something to see and what to shoot.

Well, do not neglect neighboring Austria. Good for her - at hand ..
Lower Austrian Riegersburg Castle (Schloss Riegersburg)

Vintage Hardegg

Well, in Austria itself, it can also "lay an eye" on something.

Summing up this short photo story, I’ll just add: almost 99% of the pictures were taken on
long-focus optics (the optimal focal length for shooting those places is 300-400mm on a "full" frame)
This does not mean that there are absolutely no plots for the "wide" or other focal lengths.
I think that with the desire and the presence of the weather, everyone will find something interesting for themselves there.

Moravia - ancient history began, according to archaeological finds, in the Paleolithic era. In IV-II centuries. BC e. Moravia was inhabited by the Celtic Boi tribe. Approximately in 60 BC. e. they were pressed by the Germanic tribes of the Marcomanni and Quadi, who constantly fought with the legions of the Western Roman Empire, and the fertile lands of Moravia were deserted. At the end of the 5th and in the 6th centuries. several Slavic tribes came here, and among them - Moravans (Moravians). In the 7th century Moravia was part of the Slavic principality of Samo (named after the Frank who headed it), it was not yet a state in the full sense of the word, but a tribal union that broke up in 658 under the pressure of the Turkic tribe of Avars (Obr). But they did not stay here, the Slavs settled more and more densely in the territory of Moravia, being mainly engaged in agriculture. At the end of the 8th century a state called Great Moravia begins to take shape. In the first half of the ninth century it gains considerable weight in Europe, owning part of Pannonia and lands along the river. At the same time, the Christianization of its population began. Having absorbed, thanks to the activities of missionaries from different countries and trade relations, the cultural traditions of the Frankish kingdom, Bavaria, Italy, Dalmatia, Byzantium, Great Moravia were looking for their own way of development. Prince Rostislav (who ruled 846-869), nephew of the first King of Great Moravia, Mojmir I, was enthroned under the patronage of King Ludwig II of Germany of the East Frankish Kingdom. Ludwig counted on him as his devoted vassal, but Rostislav led a completely different policy: he began to expand and strengthen his state: he built fortresses, made alliances with the Bulgarian kingdom and the Byzantine Empire. In 850, he broke off relations with Ludwig, and in 853, the brothers Konstantin the Philosopher (Cyril) and Methodius arrived in the capital of Great Moravia, Velegrad, invited by Rostislav in order to establish worship in the Slavic language. It is impossible to say for sure whether the missionaries created the Slavic alphabet in Moravia, but there is no doubt that here they laid the Slavic book tradition, made translations of Christian literature from Latin and Greek into Slavonic, more precisely the Solun dialect, which was spoken by the Slavic tribes of Draguvites, Sagudites, Vayunits , Smolensk, who surrounded the Byzantine city of Thessaloniki (Thessaloniki, Solun), where the brothers were from. This dialect formed the basis of the Church Slavonic language.
The Franks did not forget the perfidy of Rostislav. In 869, the son of Ludwig Carloman ruined the Nitra inheritance, which was ruled by Rostislav's nephew Svyatopolk I, who in 870 captured Rostislav and handed him over to Carloman, after which the prince was blinded. Carloman treated Svyatopolk no better: in 871 he imprisoned him and declared Moravia part of the Eastern Mark. But the people rebelled, and Carloman returned Svyatopolk to the throne, which did not prevent him from destroying the Bavarian garrisons. A year later, Ludwig himself entered Moravia at the head of the army. He was defeated, but in 874 he and Svyatopolk made peace. The power of Great Moravia ended with the death of Svyatopolk in 894. First, the peoples of Pannonia began to move away from it, then the Serbs, and in 907 the Ugrians (Magyars) invaded Moravia. On this, the history of Great Moravia ended, it became part of Bohemia. In 999-1019. it was part of the Kingdom of Poland, then returned to Bohemia, since 1063, together with it, it was part of the Olomouc diocese. From 1182 - to the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation. It was the time of the German colonization. In 1526, together with Bohemia, Moravia became part of the Habsburg Empire. In 1782, it was united with Austrian Silesia into one whole. In 1849, it was allocated to the special crown land of Austria-Hungary. After its collapse in 1918, Moravia became part of Czechoslovakia.

The commonality of their fate was manifested, among other things, in economic development. Already by the beginning of the XX century. the Moravian cities of Brno, Ostrava, Zlin are developing at the same pace as Prague, Pilsen and others Czech cities part of (then) Austria-Hungary. In 1939, Nazi Germany occupied Czechoslovakia and declared Bohemia and Moravia to be its protectorate, forcing the entire population to work for its army. In the Reich, there was a project to completely replace the Slavic population with ethnic Germans. May 1945 put an end to these crazy plans. A careful and detailed study of the monuments of Moravia began only in the middle of the 20th century. And then, from the dotted, fragmentary knowledge about her, a whole picture of her historical significance not only for the country, but also for Europe and the Slavic world as a whole. Excavations were carried out at the site of the city of Mikulčice, according to some experts, more ancient capital Great Moravia than Velehrad. There are grounds for this assumption: Mikulčice arose 1100 years ago, the foundations of 12 churches were found in its cultural layer, in which worship was held in the Slavic language, but the most important find is considered to be numerous “stigmas” - pointed sticks for writing on waxed tablets. The city was destroyed and razed to the ground during the time of Svyatopolk I.
The history of Moravia is also told by other cities, which, fortunately, did not go underground. They are filled with monuments, each of which can be dedicated to a separate story. But here are a few touches from their historical portraits. Brno, whose name comes from the Czech word brne (“armor”), fully justifies it: this fortified city has never been taken by the enemy in its history. In the XV century. the Hussites tried to take it by storm twice, but to no avail. During the Thirty Years' War, in 1643 and 1645, the fortress, also twice, was besieged by the Swedes - with the same result. In 1163, the walls of Brno did not submit to the Ottoman Turks, in 1742 - to the Prussian army. Olomouc is the richest city in Moravia with monuments (until 1642 it was its capital), and most of them are associated with religion and music, here in the 16th century. The first university in Moravia was opened. Ostrava is also an ancient city, but acquired its characteristic appearance of an industrial center in the 19th century. thanks to mines and smelters. Nowadays, this production is either reduced or modernized, new production buildings are being built, and the old ones are moving into the category of monuments of industrial architecture.
There are dozens of castles in Moravia, big and small. And everyone has in his museum most interesting exhibits which reveal in detail the world of the Middle Ages and subsequent centuries of the turbulent history of Moravia. Almost all castles have Renaissance and Baroque stylistic features, they appeared as a result of the rebuilding of ancient fortresses built about 700 to 1000 years ago, and something from these fortresses, as a rule, has been preserved in most castles. Some castles have more than once served as location for films, especially fairy tale films, not only by the Barrandov film studio, but also by other European film companies. Almost every castle holds its own folklore festivals and artisan competitions. Residents of small towns and villages, especially the elderly, are happy to wear colorful folk costumes with skillful embroidery or some of their elements not only on holidays.
Moravia is unusually picturesque and has many natural monuments, the most famous of which is the Moravian Karst (kras) with underground stalactite caves in which traces of prehistoric people were found. Underground rivers flow in the depths of the caves, springs form lakes.

general information

Former capitals: Brno, Olomouc.
Languages: Czech, Moravian (a dialect of Czech).

Ethnic composition: Czechs (many Moravans position themselves as Czechs) - about 90%, as well as Germans, Ukrainians, Hungarians, Gypsies, Jews, Vietnamese and others.

Religions: Christianity - Catholicism, Protestantism, Orthodoxy; Judaism, other beliefs (religious about 55% of the population, and this is the highest level of religiosity in the Czech Republic).

Currency unit: Czech crown.

Largest cities: Brno, Olomouc, Ostrava, Zlin.

The largest rivers: Morava, Svitava, Litava, Odra, Oslav.
largest reservoir: Nove Mlyne.

Major airports: international Airport Brno-Turany, international airport. Leos Janacek in Ostrava.

Numbers

Population: about 3,000,000 people

Population density: about 134 people/km2.
The most high point : Mount Praded (1492 m, Moravian-Silesian region).

Economy

Industry: coal mining (decreasing), metallurgy (iron and steel smelting), heavy engineering: production of machine tools, turbines, agricultural machines, trucks; chemical, printing, cement, textile, woodworking, furniture, food, including wine industry; metalworking, rubber and plastic processing, production of electrical engineering, precision instruments, control and management systems for critical and production processes, optics, jewelry.
Agriculture: cultivation of cereals, sugar beets, grapes, vegetables, fruits, potatoes, hops.

Animal husbandry: breeding of sheep, pigs, cattle, poultry farming.

Service sector: tourism.

Climate and weather

January average temperature: -2°C.

July average temperature: +19°С.
Average annual rainfall: from 500 to 700 mm, in the mountains over 1000 mm.

Attractions

■ city ​​of Brno: gothic places of worship- Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul (XIII-XX centuries), churches of St. Jacob (XIII-XVI centuries), St. Tomas (XIV-XVII centuries), St. Jan (XIV-XVIII centuries), Gothic Old (XIV-XVI centuries) and New (XVI-XVII centuries) town halls, a Capuchin monastery (XVII century), a ring of boulevards created in the 1860s on the site of the demolished fortress walls.
■ city ​​of Olomouc: Olomouc Castle, part of which - Cathedral St. Wenceslas (Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Neo-Gothic, XIV-XIX centuries), next to it is the building of the deanery of the Capitula (XIV century) with the Church of St. Anna (XIV century). Behind the church is the tower with the chapel of St. Barbara, rebuilt from a Romanesque residential tower in the middle of the 12th century. The chapter house houses Archbishop's Museum, part of which is a small palace of the Přemyslids in the Romanesque style; churches - St. Morzhitsa (Gothic, Baroque, XV-XVI centuries), Virgin Mary of the Snow (Baroque, XVI century, the construction of the temple began in the XIII century), the Church of St. Michael (Baroque, 17th century), Town Hall (Renaissance, 15th century), Archbishop's Palace (Baroque, 17th century), Opera theatre(XX century), fountain of St. martyr Jan Sarkander (2007).
■ city ​​of Zlin: Zlin Castle (Renaissance, Baroque, XVI-XVIIII centuries), church in Tečovice (Romanesque, Gothic, XIII century), church of St. Philip and Jacob (Gothic, XIII-XIV centuries), Leshna castle and park (neoclassicism, XIX century), Evangelical church (functionalism, XX century), Tomas Bati villa (neoclassicism, XX century), Zlín Zoo on the territory natural reserve.

■ Locks: Bukhlov (XIII-XIV centuries), Lednice (Renaissance, Baroque, XVI-XVII centuries), Kromeriz (Renaissance, XVII centuries), Pernstein (Gothic, XIII-XVI centuries), Slavkov, or Austerlitz (Renaissance, Baroque, XVI-XVII centuries), Mikulov (Renaissance, XVI century), Velegrad Monastery (Baroque, XVIII century,
20th century, founded in the 14th century).
■ Landscape and biosphere reserves: Moravian Karst: one of the largest limestone massifs in Europe, length - 35 km, and width from 2 to 6 km, depth of the Macocha abyss - 138 m, Beskydy and White Carpathians (under the protection of UNESCO), Jevišovce, Litovelske Pomoravi, Palava .

Curious facts