It smelled like Czech autumn. The kind that wraps you in gold and quietly whispers: go outside before it’s gone. Pálava’s vineyards were calling, of course — they always do — but this time, we took a small detour. Instead of chasing wine, we went looking for water. To see Lednice Ponds.
Around four ponds
Just outside Lednice, Czech Republic, a chain of shimmering ponds lies hidden between forest paths and whispering reeds — the Lednice Ponds. There’s even an educational trail winding around them, perfect for those who like a bit of learning with their walking.
We arrived by car, parking near the Apollo campsite on the road from Břeclav to Lednice. Right across from the entrance, a small parking lot waited for us — and with it, the first information board of the nature trail. Only later did we realize it was actually the last one. In other words, we’d started our journey backward.
No matter. The path followed the water faithfully, so getting lost wasn’t really an option. The Lednice trail circles four ponds — Nesyt, Hlohovecký, Prostřední, and Mlýnský. We managed to walk past three of them.
Apollon Temple
Our first stop came just a few steps from the car: the Apollo Temple, a neoclassical pavilion rising on a small hill above the Mlýnský pond. With its eight Doric columns and a terrace perfect for daydreaming, it’s one of the romantic follies of the Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape — a UNESCO World Heritage site. We didn’t linger this time; it felt too soon to rest. But I could imagine sitting there later, watching the sunset melt into the pond below.
Border Chateau (Hraniční zámeček)
From there, the path led us toward Hlohovecký pond, where another gem waited — the Border Chateau (Hraniční zámeček). In the old days, half of it stood in Austria and half in Moravia, which explains the inscription on the façade: Zwischen Österreich und Mähren. Today, it’s a stylish hotel with a terrace where you can sip coffee while pretending to be an aristocrat — or at least a relaxed traveler.
Rybniční Chateau
On our way back, we crossed to the other side of the ponds, where the landscape opened up. The last stop was the Rybniční Chateau, once a hunting and fishing lodge, now a stately venue for celebrations and quiet stays. From there, only three kilometers separated us from the car and a well-deserved snack.
Lednice Ponds
The Lednice Ponds are one of the most important ornithological sites in the Czech Republic and part of the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. Birdwatching towers dot the shoreline, and from one of them we spotted wild geese, ducks, and a few feathered visitors you won’t see back home in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Nearly twelve kilometers of walking, water, and wind. A perfect autumn remedy for the workweek blues.
Tips for trips in the area:
- Stop in Lednice (castle, greenhouse, minaret).
- Take a walk through Pálava or do the Mikulov – Pavlov wine tour.
- The entire Lednice-Valtice area can be covered by bike as a relaxing weekend trip.
