The history of Moravia, one of the lands of the Bohemian Crown, are closely connected with Charles IV: he held the office of Moravian Margrave for sixteen years and afterwards Moravia was governed by his close relatives.

The heart and historical capital of Moravia is Brno with the Špilberk castle, frequently visited by Charles IV and his first wife Blanche of Valois. The Emperor also supported the Augustinian Monastery of St. Thomas, and St. Peter and Paul’s Cathedral on Petrov Hill. The Gothic church of St. James the Great also flourished under his reign. Today, Brno is a modern lively city, offering all kinds of cultural and entrainment events and genuine local cuisine.

The town of Olomouc, once the “first of Moravian towns” has many Gothic monuments to offer, such as the church of St. Maurice and the Franciscan (today Dominican) monastery. There are many other historical towns associated with the era of Charles IV, such as Znojmo, Uherské Hradiště, Uničov, Litovel and Moravský Krumlov. You will certainly be captivated by the once impregnable castles Tepenec, Lukov and Veveří, which were important strategic points of Charles IV’s empire. The castle of Bouzov is truly charming and has been featured in many fairytale films; it later became the property of the Teutonic Order.

You may meditate on the mysteries of the Christian faith in a number of monasteries – such as the female Cistercian convents Porta Coeli (Heaven’s Gate) in the village of Předklášteří and in Oslavany or in the ruins of the former Premonstratensian convent Rosa Coeli (Heavenly Rose) in Dolní Kounice, which were also widely supported by the religious Emperor.