Mikulov. We need a return visit.

Progressing slowly following our lunch, up and down rolling hills slightly reminiscent of Virginia and with views a teeny bit like Tuscany, we reached Mikulov.

As history goes in these parts, Mikulov was a chess piece between Bohemian kings and Liechtenstein noblemen, and other nobility ever since. It was a haven for Jews expelled from Vienna in the 1400's, becoming the largest Jewish settlement in Moravia; after WWII the Jewish settlement ceased to exist and the resettled Germans were evicted.

Mikulov is also a wine producing center, with no shortage of tasting temptations in the Stare Mesto (old city). Equally as popular were the smoked meat vendors, because who doesn't like Czech food?

Not a church, but the tomb of the Dietrichstein Family, a Bohemian and Austrian noble family, a descendent of whom was a special protector of the Jewish community.

As castles go, this one did not disappoint.

Gorgeous hiking trails lead from the castle to Holy Hill (on the left); however, the afternoon was fading and we weren't quite dressed for hiking. Another time, most definitely.

 Home.