Czech Republic Guide
South Moravia
Vranov
The village of VRANOV NAD DYJÍ (Frain) is a scruffy place, but it sits below an incredible cliff-top zámek (April & Oct Sat & Sun 9am– noon & 1–4pm; May, June & Sept Tues– Sun 9am– noon & 1–5pm; July & Aug 9am– noon & 1–6pm; 130Kč; 
www.zamekvranov.cz ), magnificently poised on a knife's edge above the Dyje. Originally a medieval stronghold, it was converted into a beautiful Baroque chateau by the Viennese genius Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach after a fire in 1665. Nothing else on the guided tour of the sprawling complex (not even the medieval sauna) can quite compare to Fischer's trump card at the far end – the cavernous dome of the Sál předků (Ancestors' Hall), whose truly awesome overall effect is as much due to Rottmayr's wild frescoes as to Fischer's great oval skylights: its frenzied, over-the-top paintings depict the (fictitious) achievements of the Althan family who commissioned the work. One other piece of Fischer von Erlach genius worth inspecting is the palace's tiny chapel (June & Sept Sat & Sun 9am–5pm; July & Aug Tues– Sun 9am–6pm; 30Kč), a visit to which is not included in the chateau tour. Again, it's the frescoes, executed by a pupil of Rottmayr, that make the place so special: the main fresco features the Archangel Michael smiting Satan's followers who tumble over the cornice itself, while in the side chapels skeletons frolic and angels pray.
From the village, it's a fifteen-minute walk to the dam (přehrada) and the sandy beach known as Vranovská pláž, accessible via the footbridge across the lake. From May to September there's a fair bit of life here: a couple of campsites (May– Sept), chalets, boat rental, a few shops and an occasional boat service up the lake to Bítov and beyond. Sun-worshippers lie shoulder to shoulder on the beach in the high season, but it's easy to lose the crowd by picking a rocky spot further upstream.
One of the most interesting walks in the area is to take the red-marked path from Vranov village along the Dyje, then up into the woods and hills until you reach the road which runs from Čížov to the Austrian border (6km). From here, it's just 2km by either the blue-marked path by the road, or the green-marked path through the woods via the Hardeggská vyhlídka, a lookout post from which you can view the picturesque Austrian border village of Hardegg with its own castle (April to mid-Nov 9am–5pm; July & Aug till 6pm; €6.50), accessible via a small footbridge. The round trip will take all day, so carry a picnic, or some euros in order to grab a bite to eat in Hardegg.
Buses run regularly from Znojmo to Vranov at the weekend, less often during the week. You could also take the more frequent train to Sumná station and walk the 4km along the green-marked path to Vranov. Here you can stay above the friendly, family-run Country Saloon courtyard pub ( 
733 501 754, www.country.saloon.web.wo.cz ; Price: 501-1000Kč) or in the en-suite rooms of the grandiose Zámecký hotel ( 515 296 101, www.zameckyhotel.cz ; Price: 1001-1500Kč), some of which have views of the chateau.