The observation platform of the Slunečná observation tower is 15 metres high and can be reached via 75 steps. A path through the Nadzahrady vineyard near Velké Pavlovice leads to the tower. Other local themes range from wine cellars and folklore to architectural history and environmental education. When planning your visit, you can decide which interests to prioritise: wine-growing, local traditions, historic buildings or nature.
Wine Cellars and Wine-Growing
The Habánský vinný sklep (Habán Wine Cellar) of the Lacinovy family, at V Údolí 154, dates from 1808 and is also home to the Vinařství Lacinovi winery. A typical example of folk architecture from the Haná-Slovácko region dating from after 1700, it comprises a pressing room with a wooden wine press, a granary and an underground wine cellar. The building thus combines a specific date of construction with architecture equipped for winemaking.
The wine cellars of Vinařská ulička Pod Starou Horou have unusual shapes and are also known as “opilé sklepy” (“drunken cellars”). The recurring long-running OTEVŘENÉ VINNÉ SKLEPY programme allows visitors to enter participating wine cellars from late April to the end of September. There, they can sample wines from local vintners, see the cellar operations, ask questions about wine-growing and winemaking, and buy selected samples. As the offering is seasonal, it is worth checking its availability before travelling.
Folklore and Festivals
Krojované hody is Velké Pavlovice’s traditional folk festival and one of the year’s major social events. It includes a long-established rite in which the Stárci and Sklepníci are elected. Dates vary from year to year, so check the festival dates for your planned travel period.
Velkopavlovické vinobraní is a revived tradition with historically documented roots. It is celebrated as a festival of the harvest, wine-growing and the arts for all generations. Here too, the dates and detailed programmes change each year. The two events therefore offer different cultural points of interest: Krojované hody represents folklore and a long-established rite, while vinobraní celebrates the harvest, wine-growing and the arts.
Baroque Architectural History
In 1762, Velké Pavlovice came into the possession of the Habsburgs. Under their rule, the fortress was converted into a Baroque château that served as the estate’s administrative centre. The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was also built in the Baroque style. It is considered an example of so-called rural Baroque, which is widely represented in the sacred architecture of South Moravia.
Another connection to wine-growing is the Chapel of St Urban, the patron saint of all vintners. It is located near Velké Pavlovice, on the boundary between the Poštory and Nad Zahradami vineyards. The historical associations are clearly distinct: the château concerns the conversion of a fortress and the administration of the estate, the church reflects a regional architectural style, and the chapel is connected to wine-growing.
Natural Environment and Environmental Education
The Zahájka biocentre offers a new natural area featuring a series of ponds, a wetland and planted vegetation. The Ekocentrum Trkmanka has a permanent exhibition on Velkopavlovická apricots, established in November 2013. The centre was set up as a foundation for environmental education, training, public awareness and environmental counselling for families with children and the general public.
These offer different nature-related themes: Zahájka comprises specific landscape features, while the apricot is the subject of a particular exhibition at the Ekocentrum. The centre also has a broader environmental education and counselling role. For trip planning, this gives you a choice of wine-growing, festival traditions, architectural history and environmental education, without requiring these themes to be linked into a set route.
Discover more destinations: Drnholec, Hlohovec, Podivín, Diváky, Mikulov, Šitbořice, Týnec, Horní Vestonice
For the regional travel overview: Břeclav District.
