Kroměříž, Zlín & Luhačovice, Moravian Slovakia and Moravian Wallachia. The four regions that make up Eastern Moravia. How well do you know it? A distinctive tourist area with natural and cultural monuments, where folk customs and traditions are still regaining their original significance. You will feel elegance here at every turn. Whether it’s in your hiking boots as you gaze at the magical mountain horizons, boating among the diverse architectural monuments or wearing flip-flops during traditional spa treatments. Noble castle gardens, historic towns full of stories and picturesque vineyards create a picture you want to belong to. Let yourself be carried away by the unusualness of Eastern Moravia and explore its historical and natural gems! It will be a feast for the eyes and an environment for relaxation. If you are unsure about where to start, kick off your visit with local specialties. Would you like a glass of Moravian Slovakian wine, or would you prefer a fragrant frgál? In this region you will have no shortage of either.
Kroměříž Region: Flower gardens and an archiepiscopal shine
Kroměříž, also known as Hanakian Athens, boasts a beautiful castle and gardens, which have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Archbishop’s Castle with its richly decorated library and picture gallery is a model of distinctive Baroque elegance. Its cellars belong to the Archbishop’s Chateau Winery, which has been producing wine since the thirteenth century. It is one of the oldest wineries in Europe. For a quiet, romantic stroll, head to the Flower and Sub-chateau Gardens, where you’ll find many unusual botanical treasures. Throughout the year, the gardens host numerous music and theatre programmes.

Zlín Region and Luhačovice: Baťa’s region and the Spa Atmosphere
The Zlín region is synonymous with the unique urban planning concept initiated by Tomas Baťa. The Baťa’s Region project, which brings together the sights and attractions associated with this entrepreneur and visionary, can become a signpost for those who want to discover how a small town became a world centre of footwear and innovation. Baťa’s Skyscraper dominates the skyline, from whose observation deck visitors can see Zlín like the palm of their hand. It opens up a breathtaking view of the city full of parks, villas and iconic Baťa houses that uniquely combine architecture and urban planning.
Zlín’s architecture is characterised by clean lines and functionalism, with the contributions of prominent architects František Lýdie Gahura and Vladimír Karfík. In the modern era, this tradition was developed by the world-famous architect Eva Jiřičná. Her most significant work is the Zlín Congress Centre, which forms a joint complex with the University Centre. The city also plays an important role in Czech cinema. It was Baťa who established film studios here. Today, Zlín is home to prestigious cultural events such as the Zlín Film Festival and Zlín Design Week, which attract visitors from all over the world.

Twenty-three kilometres away, Luhačovice, Moravia’s largest spa, represents a different face of the region. Some new features include the reopened Sun Spa and the renovated Jurkovič Water Therapy Institute. Other attractions include the White Quarter, which combines functionalist elements with modern accommodation, as with the boutique hotel Radun.
Moravian Slovakia: Tradition, Wine and Folklore
Moravian Slovakia is a region whose heart has never stopped beating for tradition and folk art. Folklore festivals with colourful costumes, dancing and music are a typical feature of this picturesque region. In Uherské Hradiště, the centre of Moravian Slovakia, you can experience culture in its authentic form. Every year in September, the Moravian Slovakian Festival of Wine and Open Monuments is held here, attracting thousands of people.

History lovers will appreciate the Monument to Great Moravia in the Old Town – the Cyril and Methodius Centre with a multimedia exhibition, as well as the archeological open-air museum and the new Treasury of Great Moravia in the municipality of Modrá. The royal castle of Buchlov, from whose thirty-five-metre tower you can see the Pálava Mountains and sometimes even Vienna in good weather, also deserves a visit. The wine cellars of the Uherské Hradiště region offer exclusive wine tastings. Cyclists will appreciate the dozens of kilometres of cycle paths that wind between vineyards and picturesque villages.
Moravian Wallachia: Rugged Landscape and Folk Architecture
Moravian Wallachia is a place where time passes a little slower. The only place where you can taste real frgals – large leavened cakes of various flavours, topped with streusel. Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, with its Moravian Wallachian Open Air Museum, introduces those interested in folk architecture to our ancestors’ way of life. Dušan Jurkovič, whose buildings are scattered all over the region, imprinted his distinctive handwriting on Moravian Wallachia. One of his most famous works is Pustevny, built in the style of Folk Art Nouveau and enriched with Moravian Wallachian elements. A new feature there is the Pusteven Gate, a modern information centre and facilities for tourists that blends harmoniously into the surrounding countryside. The use of traditional materials such as wood, glass and metal creates a perfect symbiosis with the surrounding buildings. The area of Velké Karlovice offers a combination of luxury wellness hotels and beautiful nature, ideal conditions for rest and relaxation.

Wild Nature and Relaxation
The White Carpathians, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, are one of the most beautiful natural areas in Europe. The ridge trails that run along the Czech and Slovak borders offer magical views. Thanks to its unspoilt landscape with a wealth of rare flora and fauna, the White Carpathians are a paradise for lovers of nature, tranquility and mountain wanderings.
Eastern Moravia is a mixture of history, culture and natural wealth – from the industrial architecture of Zlín, through the spa elegance of Luhačovice and the peaceful ridges of the White Carpathians to the folk architecture of Moravian Wallachia. So what shoes will you wear? For the mountains, the city or the spa?
Foto: CCRVM
This article appeared in the seventh issue of the print magazine N&N – Noble Notes