Where to go on a trip Znojemsko

Modern Water Complex in the Quiet Environment of Southern Moravia Near Znojmo

Koupaliště Pohoda is located in the village of Únanov in the Jihomoravský kraj (South Moravian Region). This complex was created through the complete reconstruction of a former water reservoir and currently offers facilities for summer recreation with modern technical equipment. Thanks to its location outside major urban centres, it retains a quieter character, despite being among the popular destinations for visitors from the entire Znojemsko region. For every visitor, this place represents a functional stop for refreshment during summer days in the environment of southern Moravia.

What Can Be Found Here?

The complex features a water surface divided into a swimming and a recreational section. The water is heated by a heat pump, which allows for comfortable swimming even during days with fluctuating air temperatures. For fitness swimmers, 25-metre swimming lanes are reserved in the pool. The main entertainment attraction is a 62-metre water slide and a wide family slide. In the recreational part of the pool, there are massage jets, pearl beds, and a water spout. A separate children's paddling pool with a water mushroom and a small slide is intended for the youngest children. The services include a buffet with outdoor seating and maintained grassy areas for sunbathing.

Who Is the Place Suitable For?

Due to the variety of water features and safe zones, the swimming pool is ideal for families with children. The complex is also sought after by fitness swimmers and sports enthusiasts who make use of the tennis courts and volleyball court. Given the heated water and wheelchair-accessible entry to the complex, the swimming pool is also suitable for seniors. For everyone seeking modern amenities in a quieter rural location, the complex in Únanov offers appropriate conditions.

What Can Visitors Explore in the Surroundings?

Just approximately 6 kilometres from the village lies the historic town of Znojmo, which offers tours of the castle, the underground system, or the Rotunda svaté Kateřiny (Rotunda of St. Catherine). Within close reach is also the Národní park Podyjí (Podyjí National Park) with a dense network of hiking trails in the valley of the Dyje River. For those interested in water areas, the Výrovice water reservoir or the historic Jevišovice dam are located in the surroundings. An interesting destination is also the nearby water mill in Slup, which is a national cultural monument and an exhibition of the Technické muzeum (Technical Museum).

A modern water complex designed for summer recreation near the historical centre

The Městská plovárna Louka is located in the town of Znojmo in the Jihomoravský kraj region, in the immediate vicinity of the Loucký klášter. This outdoor complex has undergone extensive renovation and currently offers facilities for summer recreation in a modern style. The character of the place is defined by a combination of stainless steel pools, sports areas, and well-maintained grassy zones. For every visitor, the swimming pool represents a functional destination for refreshment during hot days in the Jižní Morava region. The location is one of the important points of summer tourism within the Znojmo agglomeration.

What will you find here?

The complex features a system of stainless steel pools, which are divided into swimming and recreational sections. For fitness swimmers, a 25-metre swimming pool with eight lanes is available. The main recreational pool contains a number of features, such as a water slide, wide family slides, a wild river, and massage jets. The pool also includes bubble beds and water spouts designed for relaxation. For the youngest visitors, a children's paddling pool with a water castle and small play elements is prepared. Relaxation is provided by extensive grassy areas with planted trees, which offer shade. The complex includes a buffet with outdoor seating and modern sanitary facilities with changing rooms.

Who is the place suitable for?

Given the layout of the pools and shallow zones, the complex is ideal for families with children, who will find activities here for various age categories. The place is also sought after by athletes and fitness swimmers who use the lanes in the swimming pool. Thanks to barrier-free access and well-maintained paths, the swimming pool is suitable for seniors. For every visitor who prefers organised swimming with technical facilities, the location offers appropriate conditions. The place is a popular destination for tourists and cyclists passing through Jižní Morava.

What can you visit in the surroundings?

In the immediate vicinity is the Loucký klášter, which is a national cultural monument and a centre of winemaking. The historical centre of the town of Znojmo with Znojemský hrad, the underground, and the Rotunda svaté Kateřiny is approximately 2 kilometres away. For nature lovers, the Národní park Podyjí with a dense network of hiking trails in the valley of the Dyje river is accessible. Within a range of 15 kilometres, visitors can visit the historical water mill in Slup or the ruins of Hrad Nový Hrádek near Lukov. An interesting destination is also the Vodní nádrž Výrovice with a sandy beach.

Key reservoir with historical purpose and recreational use

Znojemská přehrada (also known as the Znojmo reservoir) is a medium-sized water management reservoir located on the Dyje river near the historical town of Znojmo in the Znojmo district, in the Jihomoravský kraj. The dam was built in 1966 and serves primarily for water supply, flood protection, and, to a limited extent, for recreation and fishing. The banks of the reservoir are forested and offer pleasant paths for walking and cycling with views of the meanders of the Dyje river.

Access

A well-maintained road leads to the dam from the town of Znojmo (accessible from road number 38). For motorists, a free car park with sufficient capacity is available, located by the dam wall and on the edge of the forested area. Access to the dam wall is very easy. The nearest railway station, Znojmo, is less than three kilometres away.

What is worth exploring

In the vicinity, one can find the historical town of Znojmo with its dominant Znojemský hrad and the Rotunda sv. Kateřiny Znojmo. Less than twenty kilometres to the north lies the extensive Národní park Podyjí with the unique Šobes vineyards and Hrad Hardegg (in Austria). It is also worth visiting the Větrný mlýn v Kuželově and the Zámek Vranov nad Dyjí.

The Czech Republic is home to 4 national parks: Krkonošský národní park, Národní park Šumava, Národní park České Švýcarsko, and the only Moravian park, Národní Park Podyjí, situated in the South Moravian Region, in the Znojmo District. It was declared on 1 July 1991. With an area of 6,259 hectares, it is the smallest national park in the country. The territory was designated from the most valuable part of the original Chráněná krajinná oblast Podyjí.

And there is truly much to see. The Dyje river creates a deep canyon with picturesque meanders and rock faces along the route between Vranov nad Dyjí and Znojmo. As the site is very difficult to access, it remains the most well-preserved and least disturbed river valley in the country. The southern side of the park is bordered by the state border, which connects to the Austrian Národní park Thayatal. In the eastern part of the park, visitors will find one of the most popular summer locations in South Moravia the Znojemská přehrada (Znojmo Reservoir), and in the east, the Vranovská přehrada (Vranov Reservoir) lies on the close border.

The fauna and flora in Národní park Podyjí are very diverse. Visitors may find up to 77 species of protected plants, such as mullein, iris, pasqueflower, cyclamen, and several species of orchids. There are also rare dry and warm heathlands and steppe meadows, created by long-term livestock grazing, which are a unique European feature. Since the national park consists of more than 80% forest, a significant number of various mushroom species can also be found here.

Among the animals found in the national park, the European otter, which has ideal climatic conditions here due to the damp environment, the European ground squirrel, the dice snake, the black stork, and the Eurasian eagle-owl are certainly worth mentioning. Visitors may also encounter rare butterfly species such as the clouded Apollo or the scarce swallowtail.

Nature conservation and the activities necessary for the maintenance of the park are ensured by the Správa Národního parku Podyjí, which is based in Znojmo. Visitors who wish to learn a great deal of interesting information may visit the centre in Čížov, where a permanent exhibition is located, as well as a preserved 350-metre-long section of the Iron Curtain, including a guard tower. At the visitor centre, one will discover, for example, that the national park is a holder of the Council of Europe Diploma for protected areas.

The fact that the Znojmo and Vranov regions are popular tourist destinations is evidenced by the number of tourists who visit annually. For history enthusiasts, the area features Znojmo Castle, Bítov Castle, or the majestic Vranov nad Dyjí Chateau, which are open from April to October. With the arrival of autumn, winemaking becomes dominant in Znojmo and its surroundings. Visitors may head to burčák (young wine) festivals or a traditional wine harvest festival. Or, one may sit down at any time of the year with a local winemaker in a wine cellar. Wines from this region are of high quality and regularly occupy top positions in international competitions.

If one wishes to see the magnificence of the deep Dyje valleys from above, it is recommended to climb one of the lookout towers. The vranovská vyhlídka Claryho kříž or the Hardeggská vyhlídka in Čížov are very popular. The views are truly breathtaking.

For enthusiastic cyclists, it is certainly no secret that the so-called Stezka železné opony (Iron Curtain Trail) leads through the territory of Národní park Podyjí. The European long-distance cycle route, winding from the Barents Sea to the shores of the Black Sea in Bulgaria, is nearly 10,000 kilometres long. In the territory of the Czech Republic, it winds from the West Bohemian town of Aš and leaves the territory at the confluence of the Morava and Dyje rivers near Břeclav.

Those who prefer urban tourism should certainly not miss a tour of Znojmo. In addition to being home to an urban heritage zone, the town is known for its traditional Znojemské okurky (Znojmo pickles) or successful sports clubs. Add to this a number of high-quality restaurants and cafes, and a pleasant day is guaranteed.

The range of accommodation in Národní park Podyjí is also quite diverse. In addition to Znojmo, pleasant overnight stays are gladly provided in, for example, the smaller village of Lukov. It is recommended to approach one of the long-term residents and ask for a personal recommendation for a route or a trip tip. Advice from locals is worth its weight in gold and will not be found in any official guidebook. We wish you a pleasant time.

Romantic ruins above the Dyje River in the South Moravian

Region Hrad Cornštejn is a romantic ruin situated on a high headland above the Dyje River near the confluence with the Želetavka, located in the recreational area of the Vranovská přehrada. The originally small Gothic castle from the first half of the 14th century was built by the Lichtenburkové family and served to strengthen the defence of the nearby Bítov castle and to protect the route from Austria. It remained the property of Czech kings until it was conquered by the Hussites. In the 16th century, it ceased to be maintained and fell into disrepair. Today’s extensive ruins are the result of restoration work carried out in the 1970s, and thanks to its dramatic location, it is one of the most romantic places in southern Moravia.

Access

The ruins are located in the cadastral territory of the municipality of Bítov, approximately eight kilometres northwest of the town of Vranov nad Dyjí. It is possible to reach the parking lot below the castle by car, though its capacity is limited. Alternatively, it is possible to use seasonal boat transport on the Vranovská přehrada, which stops nearby. Cornštejn is accessible to tourists via marked trails, for example, following the yellow trail from the Chatová osada Bítov.

What is worth exploring

In the immediate vicinity, one can find the magnificent hrad Bítov, one of the oldest and most extensive castles in Moravia, known for its unique collection of taxidermy dogs and its reconstructed zoological garden. The surroundings are dominated by the Vranovská přehrada, which offers extensive opportunities for recreation and water sports during the summer season. In nearby Vranov nad Dyjí, it is worth visiting the majestic Baroque zámek, which is considered one of the most significant Baroque structures in the Czech Republic. The area is also criss-crossed by cycling and hiking trails leading through the Národní park Podyjí.