Polešovice – Wine, Culture and Trails between the Basin and the Chřiby Mountains

Polešovice lies at the transition between the Lower Moravian Basin and the Chřiby Mountains. The village thus brings together landscape, winegrowing and regional culture within a compact area. If you would like to combine different interests during your trip, you will find historical traces, viewpoints, paths through forests and vineyards, as well as events with a strong local connection here.

History and Regional Culture

The first written mention of Polešovice dates back to 1220, when the village belonged to the newly founded Cistercian monastery in Velehrad. A visible testimony to this connection is the Church of St Peter and Paul. It is the largest building on the Velehrad monastery’s estates and, despite several renovations and restorations, has preserved its original Baroque exterior and interior design.

The Polešovice folk costume is also part of the local heritage. It belongs to the Dolák folk costumes of the Uherské Hradiště type in the lower March region. This tradition is particularly vividly displayed during Slovácké hody s právem: The event takes place on the second Sunday in October with 150 to 200 participants in costume. Another historical testimony is the stone reconciliation cross of Polešovice, which probably dates from the 16th century. It stands beside a field path and is approximately 1.5 metres high.

Winegrowing as a Common Thread

Winegrowing in Polešovice is not merely a present-day topic but is also historically documented. The oldest documented name of a vineyard is Mniška, dating from 1454; this provides evidence of a monastic vineyard. The Floriánka lookout tower also bears a name from the regional wine world: Its name derives from a white grape variety used for wine production, which was entered into the State Variety Register in 2010 and bred at the local wine-breeding station in Polešovice.

At the Šlechtitelská stanice vinařská in Polešovice, there is a wine information centre with a sales outlet and a tasting room called Golanské výšiny. Local and visiting winegrowers come together at the Košt vína, held annually at Easter. In addition, as part of the Za vinařem do sklepa programme, a different local winery opens its doors every summer weekend from 12 June to 20 September 2026 and offers wine tastings. For accommodation in Polešovice, this creates a clear focus if you would like to connect wine tradition and local culture directly.

Views, Walks and Cycling Trails

The Floriánka lookout tower is 20.2 metres high. From its southern side, the view extends across the entire White Carpathians and the Hostýn Hills to the Pálava Hills. The Stezka pod Floriánkou trail is just under two kilometres long and leads through the Skalka forest park in Polešovice. Along the vineyards, the trail features ten entertaining tasks; visitors can also try a wooden ball track there.

Two described routes run through the surrounding area for longer cycling tours. The Moravská vinná cycling route passes through the cadastral territory of Polešovice. The Stezka Muškátu moravského is a 42-kilometre cycling trail. Its route runs via Uherské Hradiště, Kostelany nad Moravou, Nedakonice, Polešovice, Boršice, Buchlovice, Zlechov and Staré Město back to Uherské Hradiště. In the Nové Hory wine locality, the Zarážání hory event combines the blessing of the vineyards, their ceremonial symbolic closing, wine tastings by Polešovice winemakers and cimbalom music.

The older history of the landscape can also be explored: In the Nivy–Torštot area, an open settlement with a fortified farmstead was located in the south-eastern part of a spur site; it survived until the middle of the 13th century. For further orientation in the surrounding region, you can also explore Kunovice, Tupesy, Hostětín, Babice U Uherského Hradiště, Záhorovice, Nedachlebice, Břestek and Drslavice as well.

For the higher-level travel overview: Uherské Hradiště District.