The best attractions in South Moravia

South Moravia, or Jižní Moravy, is an area in the south of the Czech Republic on the border with Austria. The places we describe below are great points for a stopover on the way south, or for a long weekend or even longer vacation.

There are many attractions on the list, but only two campsites. The first, the Vranovská pláž Holiday Park , is a campsite with lots of attractions and amenities. There are various forms of accommodation here. The second Merlin's Camp is a place only with holiday homes. There is no pitch or campervan facilities here, but we write about it in another article: Interesting campsites in Moravia , where you will also find an interactive map of campsites.

Czech Adrtiatyk

Campsite: Vranovská pláž Holiday Park

The Czechs have well-developed tourism on all their water reservoirs. One of the most popular reservoirs both in Moravia and perhaps even in the whole Czech Republic is undoubtedly the reservoir Vranov nad Dyji known as the Czech Adriatic Sea. It is so called because of the long sandy descent into the water, cleanliness and warmth of the water.

There is water silence on the lagoon, so you can only sail, SUP and electric motorboats. On the shore of this lagoon there are many small interesting houses that can be admired from the water or from the shore, as well as several castles. Cruise ships sail on the lagoon, which can be used (like taxis) to reach various corners of the lagoon and the Dyja River.

There are plenty of bicycle paths around the lagoon, but we write about it a bit below.

There is a ropes course at the campsite, and animations take place in the season. There is also a slide and a small swimming pool.

Castles in the Dyja river valley

Campsite: Vranovská pláž Holiday Park

Vranov nad Dyji Castle and Bitov Castle - both can be visited and are well restored. Interestingly, from the campsite Vranovská pláž you can reach these places without moving your camper! An electric train runs to Castle Vranov nad Dyji in high season and a ship runs to Castle Bitov.

Vranov nad Dyji Castle can only be visited with a guide and only at certain times. Guided visits take place every several minutes. The guide only speaks Czech, but you get a printed description in English. If you do not want to enter the castle, it is still worth coming here for the insane view from the castle terrace. You can also get here by bike from the campsite Vranovská pláž. The route is about 3 km long and has two elevations.

Another castle is Bitov Castle. If you sleep at the campsite Vranovská pláž and you want to reach the castle without moving your camper, a ship arrives there and the cruise begins right at the campsite and takes place only in the season.

The interiors of this castle can also be visited only with a guide, but the gardens and the petting zoo can be visited on your own.

Cycling tours in South Moravia

Campsite: Vranovská pláž Holiday Park

In the vicinity of the Vranov reservoir there are many interesting bicycle paths with elevations. One of the most interesting is the "Pivovarská 12" trail, which ends and begins at the Hasič brewery in Bitov. In some places there are free connections for charging e-bikes.

On bicycles from Vranovská pláž you can go to Lesná to the motorcycle museum .

At Znojmo you can go on a short 3.5 km trip along the river. This route is known as the Znovín Scooter Loop.

An amusement park and the world's largest interactive pinball museum

Camping site with cabins: Merlin's Camp

There is a unique place on the Czech-Austrian border, which was created in the former duty-free zone. One duty-free shop has expanded into a small town called Excalibur City, which has a camping site, hotel, several shops, restaurants and what I want to write about: an amusement park for children and a museum of technology.

Merlin's Kinder Welt is an amusement park consisting of three parts. You can enter its area free of charge and you only pay for using the attractions. Most of the attractions are available for children over 120 cm tall and most of the attractions will appeal to older kids. Teenagers are more likely to choose a go-kart track and a technology museum.

The museum of technology may sound too serious… because it is the world's largest interactive collection of flippers and jukeboxes. Most of them work and are playable! The whole museum is divided into "time zones" and finally, in the '90s, you can also play old computer games on slot machines or old computers. You can order a guided tour (which we highly recommend) and even organize a birthday party.

Znojmo - campsite on the border with Austria

Camping site with cabins: Merlin's Camp

About 10 km from Merlin's Camp is Znojmo. It is a very interesting town with a long history. On hot days, we especially recommend a trip to the underground. The tunnels under the city are 27 kilometers long and are divided into routes of varying difficulty. The most popular is the tourist route, which requires no additional clothes or skills to complete. Children can also walk along it. You just have to remember to take some outer clothing, because the underground is 12 degrees C. However, in addition to the gentle tourist route, there are also 3 routes called Adrenaline Tours, for which you need special clothing and headlamps, which you get at the entrance. In Adrenaline Tours the passages through the tunnels are narrower and lower.

In Znojmo, it is worth going to the town hall tower and walking down to the Dyja river, passing through the streets of the old town earlier. The aforementioned "scooter route" runs along the river.

Vineyards in Moravia

Remember that there are many vineyards around Znojmo. If you don't have time to visit them, it's always worth buying a few bottles in one of the many wine shops that you can also find in the old town square.

Map of attractions in Moravia