Tips for trips
Where else to go from Vranov? Whether you go by car, ride a bicycle or walk – you can head out for many beautiful one day trips from the towns of Vranov. We now bring you the very best of them.
1. Hardegg
Head to the impressive castle Hardegg, guarding the Czech-Austrian border for over 1000 years! One of the best preserved fortresses of Lower Austria is not far away at all and you can reach it even on foot or bicycle. We advise to use the marked bike route from Vranov nad Dyjí, which can be used by pedestrians. The route is about 9km long, so you better count with a day trip and a pleasant fatigue at the end, as it should be after a proper trip.
If you want to go with your children, or just want to make the route a bit shorter, drive yourselves to Čížov first, and begin your trip there. Anyways, you'll get your share of exercise, because the landscape is hilly, as is typical for Vranov. But don't worry, it is nothing terrible and even smaller children can sure make it without difficulty.
From Čížov, you could first head for the Hardegg prospect, which is about 3km away and you certainly shouldn't miss it. You'll be able to see the whole castle and village Hardegg in detail, plus the whole wide Thaya valley, which is definitely worth the stop. In case the view itself is not enough, simply walk down to the valley, cross the pedestrian bridge – and you're already in the Austrian Hardegg.
2. A trip below the surface of the Earth
From Vranov to Znojmo, it is not far at all, and there are several interesting excursion destinations at once. We recommend you one particular speciality of Znojmo – the vast local underground passages. Parts of these corridors were opened to the public before, the novelty now are three new adrenaline routes, and be informed, that you won't be allowed to the more challenging ones with canvas shoes or flip-flops on.
Armed with hard hats, rubber boots and head lamps, visitors pass through narrow passage ways, and often have to wade through mud or even crawl at the narrowest points if they want to get out. Can you feel those pleasant palpitations yet?
If your panic attacks get you even in an elevator, you better go out to Znojmo castle :). Or take your kids to the underground too, but choose the more spacious one. And don't worry, even there is a space for a small adrenaline rush – thanks to the exhibition Tajemné podzemí (Mysterious underground), promising you to meet not only various fairy tale characters, but also some bats of skeletons here and there along the way. That's all we are willing to give away – not to spoil the surprise!
3. See the recent history
This is a bit chilling experience, even in the midst of a sweltering summer... Čížov is the last place in our country, where you can see with your own eyes the remains of the former Iron curtain, which kept us separated so vigorously from neighbouring Austria. It is as if all the watchtowers and barbed wire to this day protected the area of our state. You can still find lanes of ploughed land, which would ruthlessly reveal the footprints of those attempting to cross the Iron curtain before the revolution. Whether you remember the socialist times or not, in the proximity of the border zone, this episode of our history is in a way still present.
To Čížov, you can either drive by car, or if you feel like giving your body a stretch, you can sure ride your bicycle, for Čížov is part of the international Greenway route, with Vranov nad Dyjí being only 6km far from here, for instance.
