Journeying to Moravia, the eastern half of the country, is an excellent way to do this in the Czech Republic. Here you’ll find beautiful landscapes full of vineyards and fabulous wine towns waiting to be discovered.

Valtice and Lednice

Valtice and Lednice are towns near the border of Austria, which makes them convenient destinations  if you will be visiting Vienna as well. Large chateaus dominate each of the villages. The two towns, along with a lovely park, comprise the Lednice-Valtice Complex, a 200-kilometer area with UNESCO World Heritage distinction. Bikers can explore the area via the excellent marked trails—including one dedicated to grapes—which wind through the vineyards and into the villages.

The Minaret in Lednice.

In Lednice, the gorgeous complex is better preserved and extensive: Members of the Lichtenstein family lived in the English Tudor Neo-Gothic building until the end of World War II. The park, complete with ponds and canals,  is designed for a lovely wander or a leisurely boat ride. And don’t miss the minaret on the other side of the pond. It’s the tallest of this type of structure in a non-Islamist country. The medieval ruin? It’s actually a hunting lodge and was designed to look that way.

Valtice’s chateau is a bit more rundown, and the surroundings aren’t as impressive. It has two special things going for it, though: a brand new herb garden showcasing hundreds of different herbs and their uses and the National Wine Center. Yep, this is wine country, and in the basement of Valtice’s chateau, you can sample each of the country’s 100 best wines (the selection changes annually). Pace yourself, please.

Both towns offer restaurants and accommodation, although Valtice may be the more pleasant of the two towns if you are over-nighting. A local bus will sprint you between the two towns in less than 10 minutes, but take the more exploratory way and walk.

An easy 11-kilometer marked trail will lead you from near the Valtice train station to the center of Lednice. Along the way, you’ll pass the Temple to the Three Graces and St. Hubert Chapel, a Gothic column dedicated to the patron saint of hunting.

Getting there

From Prague, Valtice and Lednice are best reached by train. The journey time is approximately four hours. Visit IDOS, the official transportation site, for more information.

Moravia is famous for its warmth; both in the people and the weather. The wine here is a bit fresher, and the vibe more laid-back than Prague.  Whether you explore Valtice and Lednice on bike or foot, you will encounter a peaceful corner of the Czech Republic and a new appreciation for the country.

The post Czech Republic: The wine towns of Valtice and Lednice appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Capital cities have their charms, but also their limitations. Does America really reveal its soul in Washington or might one more properly feel the pulse of the nation in a smaller city? So, too, in Europe.

Rock around Roskilde

Of course Copenhagen is a very fine city, but nearby Roskilde, which is merely twenty-five minutes from the capital by fast train, somehow reveals more about Denmark. The name Roskilde should ring a bell, for every year the fjord-side city hosts one of Europe’s premier open air rock festivals. Yet, Roskilde deserves a visit for more than its festival.

The Roskilde cathedral and palace. Photo by hidden europe.

The town’s stunning brick cathedral is a twelfth-century gem, recognized by UNESCO as deserving inclusion on its World Heritage List. Throw in a beautiful baroque palace, a fabulous museum of Viking boats salvaged from the muddy waters of Roskilde Fjord, and a rural hinterland of sleepy villages that ooze history and you have a place that could well cut a dash in the tourism premier league.

But the canny Danish know a good thing, and Roskilde remains (apart from during the festival week) a city that, while feted by the locals, is no big puller on the tourist circuit.

Spring flowers, fjord-side walks and bike rides, and a galaxy of good cafés (with a micro-brewery or two for good measure) combine to make Roskilde seem like the most relaxed place on earth. The 2009 festival runs from July 2-5, but the all-inclusive festival ticket gives access to the campground from Sunday June 28– a chance to catch the musical warm-up but also to see something of Roskilde and its region.

Capital Conundrum

Avoiding capital cities makes sound economic sense, but also gives a better insight into what a country is really like. And to catch the feel of trends in European art and culture, capital cities are sometimes not the best place to start.

Hip Glasgow knocks spots off staid Edinburgh. And take, for example, historical movements like art nouveau. As so often with new departures, it was a movement fostered in the periphery rather than in great capital cities. Towns like Nancy, Weimar, and Glasgow boast some of the finest art nouveau around.

And what of Zamosc? Well no art nouveau, but simply Poland at its best. Just as Roskilde is Denmark, pure and simple.

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