To the Pearl of the Baroque Style in South Moravia

You can easily get to the bus stop near the Křtiny municipal office from Brno, Adamov and Jedovnice. The first destination of the trip is impossible to miss. The noble Baroque Church of the Name of the Virgin Mary is justly called the “pearl of South Moravia”. It was built according to the design of Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel and there is no doubt it is one of his masterpieces. Křtiny is a well-known place of pilgrimage – the local statue of the Madonna already attracted tens of thousands of believers in the early 17th century.

Have you heard the melody of a carillon? There is a Loreto bell tower with 33 bells on the church grounds. Don’t overlook the ossuary here, where skulls decorated with mysterious paintings of laurel leaves are kept. Current tour times can be found here.

A few steps from the church is the Křtiny Castle, a restaurant and a hotel in one. The charming castle park can provide relaxation after a good meal.

Follow the red tourist marker along the Path of S. K. Neumann to the Výpustek Cave. Do not expect dripstone decoration, but rather rich and interesting history. The unique complex of large underground spaces is an archaeological site due to the skeletons of cave bears. During World War II, the cave was significantly modified by military production for Nazi Germany. In the 1960s, an underground anti-nuclear shelter and a top-secret command post, operational until 2001, were built in one of the labyrinthine corridors. The shelter has been preserved unchanged and it is part of the tour, which takes 75 minutes with a guide.

If you go to Křtiny at the weekend, extend your trip to the north along the green tourist trail. You will get to an arboretum full of rare trees and unique plants. Plan an hour to see all of it. You can take a bus back to the municipal office from the stop called Křtiny, Na Lukách Gamekeeper’s House.