Castle history and a richly layered historic town centre give Austerlitz (Slavkov u Brna) a distinctive cultural character. There is also an extensive castle park, along with opportunities for golf and swimming. If you want to plan your stay around your own interests, you can choose from architectural history, an illustrated town walk and outdoor activities.
Slavkov–Austerlitz Castle and the Napoleonic era
Slavkov–Austerlitz Castle is a national cultural monument. An armistice was signed at the castle on 6 December. The former stables house the permanent exhibition “Slavkov and Europe in the Age of the Napoleonic Wars”. It opened in 2026 and is open to visitors; check the current visitor arrangements before travelling. On display are original personal belongings of Napoleon Bonaparte, including his personal sabre and a travel nécessaire that he used before the Battle of Slavkov. These loans are on display only until the end of 2026.
The “Historic Halls” tour includes a visit to the Chapel of the Holy Cross in the castle. The chapel was built during the final phase of the castle’s construction under Václav AntonĂn Kounic. It closes off the south wing and extends through all above-ground floors. Check before your visit whether the tour is being offered.
Historic town centre and walking tour
The urban conservation area preserves the cultural-historical, architectural, urban and natural values of the town centre, which was originally medieval and later took on an early modern character. The SlavkovskĂ˝ Ĺ pacĂrek is an illustrated guide to the area: its walking tour introduces the town’s major sights and monuments at eleven stops. It offers a common thread if you want to explore several aspects of the town’s history during a visit.
The surviving remains of the town wall are found mainly by the cemetery, near the former Clock Gate and by the castle garden. The town’s fortifications included four gates. The town hall combines a Gothic core with Renaissance-style execution and is considered practically the oldest building in the town.
Architecture and town history
The Church of the Resurrection of the Lord reflects a different period: it is a Late Baroque building by Jan Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg. At PanskĂ˝ dĹŻm, several building phases can be read in a single structure. It is a Renaissance building with a Gothic core, later altered in Baroque and Neoclassical styles. A Renaissance grille with plant and animal motifs and the Kounic family coat of arms survives above the entrance.
The chapels, too, tell of different periods in the town’s history. Beneath the southern part of the Chapel of Saint John the Baptist “na Ĺ pitálce” is the Kounic family crypt, built in 1795 by Arnošt Kryštof Kounic. It contains seven coffins; in 1890 it was confirmed that the mortal remains of Chancellor Václav AntonĂn Kounic are among them. The cemetery chapel stands on the site of a hospital established by the Teutonic Order in the 13th century; its present form dates from 1743.
The present-day Neo-Romanesque synagogue stands on the site of the original Jewish synagogue. The latter is documented from the 15th century and was demolished in 1857. These layers of time make the town centre not a single period, but a juxtaposition of different architectural and urban histories.
Castle park, golf and swimming
The castle park covers 15.5 hectares and is one of Moravia’s most significant historic gardens. Admission is free. A six-hole practice golf course is also available in the lower part of the park. In addition, Austerlitz Golf Resort in Slavkov u Brna operates an 18-hole course. For a small fee, you can play golf there all day without being a member of a golf club or providing proof of a handicap.
For a different kind of exercise, Koupaliště Slavkov offers a 50-metre swimming pool, a non-swimmer pool and a children’s pool. The facility is seasonal; check the current opening period before travelling. This lets you weigh up culture, a park visit and sport as different priorities for your stay, without having to combine them into a fixed itinerary.
Plan your journey
Slavkov u Brna is on the Brno–Veselà nad Moravou railway line. The railway station is about 1.3 kilometres from Slavkov–Austerlitz Castle. For specific travel arrangements, it is worth checking the current timetable; the stated distance is between the station and the castle. Together with the exhibition, historic stops and castle park, the rail connection provides a practical starting point for planning what you want to see.
Discover more destinations: Kučerov, Hvězdlice, Studnice, Velešovice, Milešovice, Dobročkovice, Holubice, Kobeřice U Brna.
For the broader travel overview: Vyškov District.
