Velké Bílovice (German: Billowitz) is a town in Břeclav District, South Moravian Region near Lednice – Valtice area, Czech Republic. It has a population of 3,742 (2005 est.). The economy is based on the wine industry and fruit growing (peach, apricot, apple).
Velké Bílovice, with its 800 ha of vineyards, is the greatest wine-growing area in the Czech Republic.
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The first written record of Velké Bílovice comes from 1306, though the area was settled much earlier. The Dynasty of Liechtenstein and Žerotín is the most important in the history of Velké Bílovice. In the 16th century, groups of Anabaptists (Habáni) settled in the area and built large wine cellars. Velké Bílovice was officially promoted to town status on July 27, 2001.
The area boasts more than 650 privately-owned wine-cellars.
Near Velké Bílovice are two ponds, Velký Bílovec and Šísary, which are used mainly for recreation and fishing.
Anababtist(Habánské) cellars, the bigger one is near the pond Velký Bílovec course Čejkovice, his owner is company Habánské sklepy s.r.o. and was built around year 1614.
Hill Hradištěk is the highest place in VB. We can see from this place whole town with surroundings and hill Pálava. Domination on this hill is chapel sacred to St. Urban-patron of vintners, St. Method and Cyril, St. Wenceslas.
Church of the birth of the Virgin Mary is built from Baroque style.
Museum: we can find there local folklore costume, some archaeological find, the agricultural tools and other interesting things of history VB.
Cultural house: is hall where take place various action-concerts, exhibitions, balls.
“Hody”: it is a local feast at the beginning of September. The feast takes 3 days and nights. There play brass music and couples in folk costume dancing. Many tourists visit that ceremony.
From cellar to cellar: on this action at the beginning of April you can wander and taste plenty of wines in several wine cellars and buy wine for good price.
Exhibition of wines: it is degustation and evaluation wines from vintners.
The Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape - was included in the UNESCO list of the world cultural and natural heritage in 1996. The history of this complex is united with aristocrat family of Lichtenstein.
The Lednice Chateau was originally built in Gothic style, Baroque style (mainly the work of Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach), the classical and now it has Neo-Gothic style. We can also find in English park minaret in the Moorish style and a glasshouse, ridding school. In summer, tourists can see show, where various birds such as eagles, hawks, buzzards etc. show their talent.
The castle of Valtice was built in baroque style and is surrounded by park with a number of romantic buildings such as colonnade Reistna, Belvedere, Diana's temple-Randezvous, chapel of St. Hubert. In surroundings L-V area we can find The Apollon's Temple, the Temple of the Three Graces, Border Chateau, Fishpond chateau, Johannesburg, Obelisk etc.
In Pálava with white limestone hills we can find Dívčí hrad and Svatý kopeček and Děvín which is 550m above sea level.
Water work Nové Mlýny is a small Moravia sea. On one of the islands we can find church of St. Linhart, which is the last remember for flooded village Mušov. Water work is ideal for windsurfing, fishing and yachting.
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