City History from Two Perspectives
Uherské Hradiště can be explored through a range of historical perspectives. The permanent exhibition “Uherské Hradiště – město královské” presents the city’s key historical events, starting with its founding in 1257. The Expozice dějin města offers a different snapshot in time: its virtual tour shows what the city looked like in 1670. While the permanent exhibition looks at history from the city’s founding onward, the virtual tour focuses on the cityscape in a single year.
Archaeological Traces and Early Churches
An early historical trace leads to the Výšina sv. Metoděje archaeological site. It includes the remains of an important religious complex from the time of the Great Moravian Empire. At the turn of the 8th and 9th centuries, Christian missionaries built one of the first stone churches north of the Danube here. At the freely accessible site, you can see the reconstructed ground plan of the religious buildings and an information panel about the site’s history and significance. The archaeological remains, reconstructed ground plan, and explanations of the site’s history are thus all central to the visit. The site is freely accessible; nevertheless, briefly check the current access arrangements before your visit.
Folk Culture at the Rochus Open-Air Museum
The Rochus Open-Air Museum in Uherské Hradiště-Mařatice is a museum of folk architecture. Its specific features include an original wooden barn relocated from Břestek and several agricultural farmsteads. Its ethnographic focus is on Dolňácko in the Uherské Hradiště area. Traditional architecture and ways of living are among its themes, along with work and lifestyle, clothing, customs, and folkloric expression. The focus here is therefore on regional building and ways of life, rather than solely on individual events in the city’s history.
Recurring customs and seasonal events take place at the open-air museum throughout the year. These include Fašank, Easter, raising the maypole, opening the pastures, the harvest, the pilgrimage, and the St. Stephen’s caroling tradition. Dates vary from year to year. If you would like to experience a particular event, check the dates for your chosen year before travelling.
Art and History in Exhibitions
The Joži Uprka Gallery displays representative works from the collections of Nadace Moravské Slovácko, Národní galerie v Praze, Moravské galerie v Brně, Galerie výtvarného umění v Olomouci, Krajské galerie ve Zlíně, and Římskokatolické farnosti ve Strážnici. Here’s another detail to help with planning: on the last Saturday of each month, you can join a guided tour of the exhibition with a curator. Dates and availability may change; check in advance if you want to plan your trip around this tour.
The Expozice Věznice Uherské Hradiště explores a different subject. Photographs and Czech-language text panels tell the history of the prison during Nazi and Communist totalitarian rule. For orientation, it is important to note that the exhibition is on the top floor of the Reduta, not in the prison building. It is not accessible to visitors with mobility impairments. Check the current access conditions before visiting.
Nature in Rochus Park
Rochus Park complements the cultural and historical themes with a focus on natural history. It has been part of the Natura 2000 network since 2005. More than 100 bird species and 50 butterfly species live in the park. This biodiversity offers a different thematic perspective from the exhibitions, archaeological site, or open-air museum. When choosing what interests you about the trip, you can therefore distinguish between city history, folk culture, art, and nature.
Discover more destinations: Zlechov, Šumice, Nezdenice, Podolí, Jankovice, Hustěnovice, Korytná, Tučapy.
Back to the regional travel overview: Uherské Hradiště District.
