Velké Pavlovice: Wine, History and Discoveries

Velké Pavlovice combines the Moravian wine tradition with distinctive buildings, folk customs and environmental education for families. The town therefore appeals to a range of interests: wine cellars and viticulture may be the main focus, as may a lookout tower with clearly specified ascent details, regional architecture or a natural area with ponds and wetlands.

Wine Cellars and Viticulture as Defining Themes

A particularly tangible way to explore the history of viticulture is the Habánský vinný sklep wine cellar of the Lacinovi family at V Údolí 154. The wine cellar dates from 1808 and is also the seat of the Vinařství Lacinovi winery. As a typical folk building of the Haná-Slovácko region from the period after 1700, it comprises a press room with a wooden wine press, a granary and an underground wine cellar.

Another way to learn about viticulture is offered by the OTEVŘENÉ VINNÉ SKLEPY programme. From the end of April to the end of September, visitors can enter participating wine cellars, taste samples from local winemakers, tour the cellar operations, ask questions about viticulture and winemaking, and purchase selected samples. In the Vinařská ulička Pod Starou Horou, the unusually shaped wine cellars are also known as “opilé sklepy”, or “drunken cellars”.

Views and Landscape

The Slunečná Lookout Tower provides clear orientation for planning a trip: The observation platform is located at a height of 15 metres and can be reached via 75 steps. The tower is accessible by a path through the vineyards of the Nadzahrady wine-growing area near Velké Pavlovice. Views, vineyards and a path through the landscape thus form a shared theme for a single outing, without the need for further distance information.

The Zahájka Biocentre also adds its own distinctive landscape feature. A new natural area was created there with a series of ponds, a wetland and planted vegetation. The Trkmanka Ecocentre was established for families with children and the general public as a foundation for environmental education, instruction, public awareness and environmental counselling. The facility also includes a permanent exhibition about the Velkopavlovická apricot, established in November 2013.

Architecture, Festivals and Regional History

The local history also extends into the political and architectural development of the region. In 1762, Velké Pavlovice came into the possession of the Habsburgs. Under their rule, the fortress was rebuilt as a Baroque château, which was used to administer the estate. The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was built in the Baroque style and is considered a work of the so-called vernacular Baroque, which is frequently represented in the sacred architecture of South Moravia.

The Chapel of Saint Urban, the patron saint of all winemakers, is part of the religious and viticultural tradition. It is located near Velké Pavlovice on the boundary between the Poštory and Nad Zahradami wine-growing areas. Krojované hody is the town’s traditional folk festival and an important social event of the year. It includes a long-established ritual for selecting the Stárci and Sklepníci.

The Velkopavlovické vinobraní also refers to a revived tradition with historically documented roots. The Velkopavlovické vinobraní is a festival of the harvest, viticulture and art for all generations. In addition to architectural landmarks, Velké Pavlovice therefore offers access to regional customs and the cultural significance of viticulture.

Further destinations for your research: Tvrdonice, Kašnice, Brumovice, Krumvíř, Morkůvky, Dolní Věstonice, Hrušky and Bořetice.

To the higher-level travel overview: Břeclav District.