Bike trip to the Těšany forge through the region of Maryša and wine

Biking through the region of Maryša to the Těšany forge

Are you coming from Brno? Take tram No. 2 to Modřice to the terminus or take the train from Brno main train station to Modřice station on line S3. In Modřice, get on your bikes and ride to Rajhrad to the Benedictine monastery. 

Monastery, the mecca of literature

You can spend hours in the beautiful Baroque complex of the Rajhrad monastery designed by the renowned architect Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel and not get bored. The area with today's park landscaping is gradually awakening from a long purgatory when it was decimated by armies of all kinds. In the Middle Ages, monasteries used to be popular targets of war looting and Rajhrad enjoyed it to the limit. From the Mongol invasions to the army's stay under communism. That is why it is almost a miracle that ancient manuscripts, the precious foundation of the local library, have survived to this day. There are 65.000 volumes!

A profound experience not only for bookworms

Visit the Monastery Museum of Literature in Moravia! The historic library will make you feel so small... and the decoration... like in the Vatican. The original Romanesque and Gothic design was rewritten by the aforementioned Santini-Aichel in a magnificent Baroque reconstruction. Vaulted ceilings with frescoed ceilings, stucco decorations here and there, gold was not  spared. Plus, oddities like a giant mechanical globe.

The memorial is an exposition of literature written in Moravia - From the earliest manuscripts from the end of the 9th century to modern giants like T. G. M. or Kundera... And you can also listen to Old Slavonic - The language essential for today's modern Czech language here.

In the museum you will find many unexpected treasures. Such as the correspondence of the painting magician Alphons Mucha, who comes from the Moravian town of Ivančice. The extensive correspondence stored here in Rajhrad proves that he did not forget his birthplace even in the times of his greatest fame and liked to visit.

But back to today's trip. After the cultural experience, you may be hungry. Stop by the U Kašny restaurant (just off the underpass under the railway line at Městečko). The surprising menu and high performance earned the owners inclusion in the prestigious Gourmet jižní Morava 2019 list.

Do you prefer beer or wine?

From Rajhrad continue to Blučina to the Litava (Cézava) river. Would you like to visit the wine shop of local wines at the florist shop or taste beers from the local brewery Xaver? Cross the bridge into the centre. Sportsmen bored with the plain can climb from here to the Výhon lookout tower above Židlochovice. Continue to the centre of Židlochovice and the local information centre with a wine shop. Don't be afraid of boring leaflets. They have a certified wine shop of local wines and also Fenz's Fertile from Židlochovice apricot crop from the famous local orchards. 

To Těšany and Maryša

Bike path 5065 then takes you to Těšany. Why are we taking you here? IIt was here in the old forge in Těšany that Alois Mrštík supposedly got the inspiration to write his immortal drama about the mortal Vávra and the unhappy Maryša. Her birth house stands here, and she is also buried here (namely Marie Turková-Horáková, who became Mrštík's model for Maryša) - Although you won't find any ostentatious references or decorative plaques, you can have lunch at the Maryša restaurant or, a little further on in Šitbořice, taste wine at the Maryša winery (you can also stay overnight). 

Be sure to check out the charming historic 17th-century forge we mentioned earlier. The Technical Museum in Brno has taken it under its wing. During special events you will see the blacksmith in action in the workshop. You will learn how blacksmiths worked and lived when they had a time off.

You can also buy local cheeses at the Těšany farm. (And if you enjoy folklore, plan a trip to the local Ethnographic Festival. Beautiful embroidered costumes, smiling people, folk craft demonstrations, specialties at the fair... well, you get the picture, just stop by.)  

And how to get back?

You can take a big detour through the wine country and past the aforementioned Maryša wine cellar to Nosislav and take the train home to Židlochovice (line S3 towards Brno). 

One gets hungry on a bike trip... where to in Židlochovice?

If you are hungry, go to the U Kašny restaurant in Rajhrad (just off the underpass under the railway line in Městečko). The surprising offer and high performance of the owners earned them inclusion in the prestigious list of Gourmet jižní Morava 2019.

In Židlochovice, the Za Komínem restaurant will satisfy the great hunger. It is easy to recognize  - By the chimney, a short distance from the river. And since you are in the region of the famous literary figure Maryša, you might go to the Maryša restaurant. 

Thirst is satisfied with wine in this region. In Rajhrad, we'll send you to the Rajhrad monastery winery Rajhradské klášterní with a clear conscience. Refreshment on the way is waiting in Blučina at the Malé domácí vinařství Sklep Blučina winery. Wines from the iconic Výhon hill are offered by the wine shop of Mr. Št'astný in the florist shop on Měnínská street or the winery of Mr. Hanuš. 

Beer drinkers, you don't want to miss the opportunity to taste samples at Blučina's Xaver brewery. Wine drinkers can continue to the Židlochovice Infocentre with a wine shop selling local wines (and apricot gifts) or the Vinařství Válka bio winery in Nosislav. 

Monastery cellars and brewery

St Benedict's monastic programme includes "ora et labora" - Pray and work. Work included clearing forests, blacksmithing, carpentry, and copying books. And also brewing beer and making wine! Beer is no longer brewed in the monastery, but the ancient wine-making tradition is carried on by the Rajhradské klášterní winery. It is connected to the local Benedictine monastery. The monastery's vineyards are mentioned already in the 14th century and the cellars themselves were built around 1690. Today's owners decided to continue the tradition of the Rajhrad winery in 2009, the shop is open on weekdays.