Moravia's Fields and Meadows

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The D1 motorway continued through the Moravian countryside to the outskirts of Brno, where it connects with the D2 south to Slovakia. The country here is farmland dotted with villages dating to medieval times, with the city of Brno in the middle. The suburbs of the traditional capital of Moravia were dotted with high-density Communist-era apartment blocks. But now, they have been repainted from drab grey and tan into a bouquet of pastels. Here, the D2 motorway split off outside the city center to head south for the Slovakian border and Bratislava. The southern suburbs presented a different picture, dotted with new strip malls and big box stores. Someone is buying all that merchandise! Abruptly, we were back in the countryside once more and soon passing through wine country. (Moravia is known for wine, while Bohemia is known for beer.) The countryside around here is all a part of the battlefield of Austerlitz, though there is no battlefield park that I can ascertain. Maybe it's because Napoleon won here in December 1805, defeating the combined forces of Austria and Russia and bringing an end to the Holy Roman Empire. The battle occurred about six miles (ten km) southeast of Brno between it and the town of Austerlitz (Slavkov u Brna today).

Upon crossing the Morava River, from which Moravia takes its name, we entered Slovakia and made for Bratislava.

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Photos

Velke Mezirici
Velke Mezirici. The town, founded in the fourteenth century, was known as Groß Meseritsch until 1918. The church is the Church of St. Nicholas (kostel sv. Mikuláše).
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Chateau Velké Meziříčí
Château Velke Mezirici - Schloss Groß Meseritsch. Castle and Museum. Originally a Romanesque castle from the 13th century, it was remodeled in the Baroque style in 1733. Today, the chateau houses a museum presenting the history of Velké Meziříčí.
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In Nature's Realm
Moravian countryside.
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Brno Apartments
Pastel-colored apartment blocks outside Brno.
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Velké Němčice
Velké Němčice, knwon as Groß Niemtschitz until 1918. The village was founded about the 13th century.
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River Morava
Crossing the Morava River, a tributary of the Danube. Moravia takes its name from the river, which forms the border between the Czech Republic (Czechia) and Slovakia.
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