Vranov nad Dyjí (until 1986 Vranov; ) is a market town in

Znojmo District Znojmo District () is a district in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Znojmo. Administrative division Znojmo District is divided into two administrative districts of municipalities with extended competenc ...

in the

South Moravian Region The South Moravian Region (; , ; ), or just South Moravia, is an Regions of the Czech Republic, administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the south-western part of its historical region of Moravia. The region's capital is Brno, th ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. It has about 800 inhabitants. It is known as a summer resort.

Geography

Vranov nad Dyjí is located about west of

Znojmo Znojmo (; ) is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 34,000 inhabitants. Znojmo is the historical and cultural centre of southwestern Moravia and the second most populated town in the South Moravian Region. The hi ...

and southwest of

Brno Brno ( , ; ) is a Statutory city (Czech Republic), city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava (river), Svitava and Svratka (river), Svratka rivers, Brno has about 403,000 inhabitants, making ...

, on the border with

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

. It borders the municipal territory of

Hardegg Hardegg () is a town in the district of Hollabrunn in Lower Austria, Austria. It is situated in the Waldviertel region on the river Thaya, directly on the border with the Czech Republic. The Thaya valley is protected as the Thayatal National Par ...

. It lies in the

Jevišovice Uplands Jevišovice () is a town in Znojmo District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,200 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument zones, urb ...

. The highest point is the mountain Býčí hora at above sea level. Vranov nad Dyjí lies in the valley of the

Thaya The Thaya (, ) is a river in the Czech Republic and Austria, a right tributary of the Morava (river), Morava River. It flows through the South Moravian Region in the Czech Republic and through Lower Austria in Austria. It is formed by the conflue ...

river. A part of the Vranov Reservoir, which is named after the market town, is situated in the northern part of the municipal territory. The

Podyjí National Park Podyjí National Park () is a Protected Areas of the Czech Republic#National Park, national park in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Adjacent to Austria's Thayatal National Park on the border, together they are referred to as the I ...

occupies the southern part of the territory.

History

The first written mention of Vranov is from 1100, when the Vranov nad Dyjí Castle was mentioned in ''

Chronica Boemorum The ''Chronica Boemorum'' (Chronicle of the Czechs, or Bohemians) is the first Latin chronicle in which the history of the Czech lands has been consistently and relatively fully described. It was written in 1119–1125 by Cosmas of Prague. The ...

''. In 1323, the estate was acquired by the Lords of Lipá. The Lichtenburg noble family took control of Vranov during the 15th century. From 1516 to 1629, the estate often changed owners. During the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

, the castle was besieged and damaged by Swedish troops, and the destruction was completed by a large fire in 1665. The Althann family, who acquired the castle in 1680, reconstructed the old Gothic structure into a representative Baroque residence. In the 19th century, the extensive landscape park was added. Between 1790 and 1882, Vranov was known for its manufactory of

earthenware Earthenware is glazed or unglazed Vitrification#Ceramics, nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids ...

. After 1816, the manufactory began producing

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...

of the

wedgwood Wedgwood is an English China (material), fine china, porcelain and luxury accessories manufacturer that was founded on 1 May 1759 by the potter and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood and was first incorporated in 1895 as Josiah Wedgwood and Sons L ...

type.

Demographics

Transport

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights

Vranov nad Dyjí is known for the Vranov nad Dyjí Castle. Today the castle is owned by the state and is open to the public. Together with the ruins of Nový Hrádek Castle, Vranov nad Dyjí Castle is protected as a national cultural monument.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vranov nad Dyji Market towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Znojmo District