Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape
A designed cultural landscape shaped by the Liechtenstein family over centuries.
The Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape is a 283.09 km² cultural-natural complex in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic, encompassing the municipalities of Lednice, Valtice, and Hlohovec, along with the rural area of Břeclav. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996 for its blend of Baroque, Neoclassical, and neo-Gothic architecture, and for its history as a landscape intentionally designed by a single family. The site adjoins the Pálava Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, making the close proximity of two protected cultural landscapes unique.
Quick Facts
- Location
- Lednice and Valtice, Czech Republic
- Area
- 14,320 ha / 55.3 sq mi
Facts from the source article.
History
The House of Liechtenstein acquired Valtice Castle in 1249, beginning their settlement in the area, and it remained their principal residence until 1939. The castle, expanded in late Romanesque style in the early 13th century, was badly damaged in the Hussite Wars and later rebuilt in Baroque style by Charles I, Prince of Liechtenstein. From the 14th century, Lednice was a fortified manor of the Valtice estate, expanded into a palace from 1680 and redesigned in Tudor Gothic Revival style between 1846 and 1858 by Prince Aloys II. Between the 17th and 20th centuries, the princes transformed their properties into one large private park, and during the 19th century they continued shaping it as an English landscape park. Feldsberg (Valtice) was part of Austria until 1919, while Eisgrub (Lednice) belonged to the Kingdom of Bohemia, both under Habsburg rule, with the border running between the two castles. The 1919 Treaty of Saint-Germain transferred Feldsberg, about 97% German-speaking, to Czechoslovakia. In 1715, the two chateaux were connected by a 7 km landscape avenue, later renamed for poet Petr Bezruč; much of this avenue remains in use. The area includes the Lednice Ponds and extensive pine forests known as the Pine-wood, along with riparian forests near the Thaya River.
Features
The principal elements are Chateau Valtice with its town, Lednice Castle with its village, and the village of Hlohovec. Numerous residential pavilions, often used as chateau or hunting lodges, dot the landscape. These include the Colonnade − Rajsna, a Neoclassical colonnade on a hill ridge above Valtice from the 1810s–1820s; the Belvedere; the Rendezvous (or Temple of Diana), a Neoclassical hunting lodge in arch form from the 1810s; and St Hubert Chapel, a Gothic Revival column structure from the 1850s in the Pine wood. Other structures include the Pond House, Nový dvůr (a Neoclassical farm from 1809 now used for horse breeding), the Apollo Temple (a Neoclassical hunting lodge from the 1810s), the Hunting Lodge from 1806, and John's Castle, a Gothic Revival folly of artificial ruins finished in 1810. Pohansko is an Empire-style hunting lodge finished after 1812, housing a museum exhibition and near an archaeological site of Great Moravian remains and reconstructed border fortifications. Lány is an Empire-style hunting lodge from the early 19th century.
Preservation
The garden follies and the conservatory of Lednice Park were listed in the 1998 World Monuments Watch by the World Monuments Fund due to deteriorating conditions from insufficient financial resources. After studying Lednice and Valtice Castles, the Fund helped restore the Valtice Rendezvous folly with support from American Express. Following the tourist season in the Czech Republic, the castle became the most visited place in the country as new attractions were added.
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