Znojmo Underground Tunnels

27 kilometres of medieval tunnels run beneath Znojmo — the largest underground labyrinth in Central Europe. When enemies came, the entire population descended with their wine, set the chimneys smoking, and sent pursuers sliding into inescapable pits. The Ducal Rotunda on the castle grounds holds the complete Premyslid dynasty portrait painted in 1134 — in a chapel smaller than a garden shed, maximum 10 visitors at a time. Habsburg emperors demanded Znojmo Grüner Veltliner for Vienna as late as the 19th century. On Friday evenings, Wine House Znojmo seats eight guests 18 metres underground.

What to do there

5 things to do

1. 1 Descend into the Ghost Town That Never Surrendered History · Price: low

   Where: Slepičí trh 2 (Hen Market), in the historic centre. The entrance is an unassuming door on a small square — look for the Znojemské podzemí sign. GPS: 48.8558°N, 16.0493°E. Book in advance at podzemi@beseda.znojmo.cz or call +420 515 221 342 (essential on summer weekends).

   What: You're about to walk into a 27-kilometre labyrinth that hasn't fully been mapped. What IS mapped and publicly accessible is 850 metres across three floors, built starting in the 14th century when every burgher house in Znojmo connected its wine cellar to its neighbour's until an entire underground city existed beneath the real one. Here's what nobody tells you at the surface: when enemy armies marched on Znojmo, the entire population — with their food, their wine, their children — descended here and set the chimneys smoking. Soldiers would enter a ghost town that smelled inhabited, see smoke rising from every hearth, and follow the obvious path underground. Where they met slippery slides ending in inescapable pits. Trapdoors. Choke points. Intentionally confusing dead ends. The tunnel title 'where no enemies escaped alive' was earned.

   How: Take the classic guided tour (approx. 150 CZK per adult, ~€6). Guides lead you through the first floor — the original wine storage chambers, with niches carved for barrels still visible in the stone walls. Notice the ventilation shafts and the wells — the builders thought of everything. The tour starts at Slepičí trh and exits at Obroková Street, so coordinate with your companion where to meet after. Wear a jacket; it's a constant 10°C down here year-round.

   Backup: If the classic tour is sold out, book the 'adrenaline blue' tour — same tunnels, narrower passages, slightly more challenge. The black adrenaline tour involves full crawling and wall-climbing; not for claustrophobes.

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2. 2 Taste the Wine That the Habsburg Emperors Demanded for Vienna Wine · Price: low

   Where: Enoteka znojemských vín, Hradní 2, Znojmo — inside the old brewery building, a 3-minute walk from the tunnel exit. Sun–Wed 10:00–20:00, Thu 10:00–22:00, Fri–Sat 10:00–24:00. Phone: 702 203 232.

   What: This is the largest self-service wine tasting room in the Czech Republic: 120 samples from 30 local wineries, on machines that let you choose a tasting pour (15ml), half glass, or full glass. Here's the story worth knowing: even as late as the 19th century, Grüner Veltliner from Znojmo — described as 'linden flowers and minerally bitter-almond palate' — was one of the favourite wines at the court of the Habsburg emperors in Vienna. The majority of wine served in Habsburg-era Vienna came from Moravia, and Znojmo was at the centre of it. The tunnels you just walked were literally built to store and protect this wine. Ask for a Grüner Veltliner and a Sauvignon Blanc side by side. Both come from the same granite bedrock — the granitoid subsoil directly beneath your feet. The granite strips out the calcium and gives the wine its distinctive mineral, almost chalky finish you won't find in Austrian Grüner just across the border.

   How: Load a credit card at the counter (any amount, minimum around 100 CZK). Walk to the tasting machines. Select 'Znojmo sub-region' to filter local wines specifically. Start with a Grüner Veltliner, then try the Pálava — a cross between Gewürztraminer and Müller-Thurgau bred locally, named after the Pálava Hills, aromatic and unlike anything you'll find anywhere else on the planet.

   Backup: If Enoteka is closed, walk to Wine House Znojmo at Masarykovo náměstí 14 — standard tasting in their underground cellars costs 450 CZK (~€18) per person and descends directly into the medieval tunnel system.

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3. 3 Find the 1134 Frescoes That Only 10 People Can See at Once History · Free

   Where: Ducal Rotunda of the Virgin Mary and St Catherine, on the castle grounds near the edge of the city overlooking the Dyje River valley. GPS: approximately 48.8580°N, 16.0443°E. Walk through Znojmo Castle to reach it.

   What: This circular stone chapel, built in the mid-11th century, is the only fully preserved building from the original Přemyslid castle — the dynasty that founded Bohemia. Inside are Romanesque frescoes painted in 1134 to celebrate the wedding of Prince Konrad II of Znojmo with Mary, daughter of Uroš I of Serbia. Not religious icons. A dynastic family portrait. The frescoes depict 19 Přemyslid dukes — the entire ruling lineage — alongside Vratislaus I, the first King of Bohemia. It is one of the oldest fresco compositions in the Czech lands, and it survived 900 years in a building no bigger than a garden shed. You're looking at faces that were painted when the Crusades were still in progress.

   How: The exterior is free to view at any time — stand in front of the rotunda and understand its impossible modesty: this tiny, round, stone chapel holds the portraits of a dynasty. To enter (strongly recommended), access is strictly controlled: maximum 10 visitors at a time, 15 minutes per entry, available twice per hour. Check with the Znojmo Castle ticket desk for current entry schedule. Entrance to the castle grounds is included in or accessed from the castle ticket.

   Backup: Even if you can't enter, walk the castle ramparts above the Dyje River gorge — the view of the river valley, with vineyards rolling toward Austria, is a reveal moment that earns its own place in the day.

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4. 4 Climb 80 Metres to See the Alps Above the 27km of Tunnels Below Adventure · Free

   Where: Znojmo Town Hall Tower, Horní náměstí (Upper Square), directly above the underground tunnel system. GPS: 48.8557°N, 16.0500°E. Entrance via the Town Hall building. Approximately 50 CZK (~€2) to climb, open daily approximately 9:00–17:00 in summer, reduced hours off-season.

   What: Built between 1445 and 1448, this 80-metre Gothic tower is one of Moravia's architectural masterpieces — its slim profile with double-gallery roof and characteristic Gothic spires took three years to build. But here's why you're actually climbing it: on a clear day you can see the Alps from the top. More immediately, you can see the entire city laid out below you — the red-tiled rooftops of the medieval centre — and somewhere underneath all of it, 27 kilometres of tunnels. The gap between the view from up here and the reality of what's underground is one of the great contrasts of any Central European city. The same burgher houses whose wine cellars form the tunnel network are the ones you're looking down at now.

   How: Enter through the Town Hall on Horní náměstí (the main upper square, a 2-minute walk from Enoteka). The tower has a narrow spiral staircase — take it slowly, it's worth the breathlessness. At the top gallery, look south toward Austria. On clear days the line of the Alps is visible. Look back down at the medieval centre and imagine the 14th-century engineering project happening simultaneously underground.

   Backup: If the tower is closed, the viewpoint from the Castle Garden on the castle ramparts overlooking the Dyje gorge is the alternative panorama — and arguably the more dramatic of the two.

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5. 5 Go Deeper: the Underground Wine Dinner 18 Metres Below the Street Wine · Price: moderate · Optional

   Where: Wine House Znojmo (Vinařský dům), Masarykovo náměstí 389/14 — a 15th-century Renaissance townhouse on the main lower square. GPS: 48.8553°N, 16.0495°E. Book ahead via vinarskydumznojmo.cz — capacity is limited to 8 guests per session.

   What: Friday evenings (from 19:00), the Wine House runs a three-hour underground experience: a three-course dinner paired with Znojmo wines, followed by a guided tour through their cellars — which extend directly into the medieval Znojmo tunnel system, 18 metres below the street. The winemaker explains not just the wine but the history of the underground chambers you're eating in: the same carved niches, the same ventilation shafts, the same geology that Habsburg-era winemakers used to keep their wine at the perfect temperature year-round without electricity, without technology, with only the knowledge of stone and depth. Price: 1,200 CZK per person (~€48). Standard group tastings (no dinner) are available any time for 450 CZK (~€18) with a minimum group of 2.

   How: For the Friday dinner, book at least 1 week in advance (often longer in summer). Arrive 10 minutes early — the house is a Renaissance gem worth studying before you go underground. The wines poured will be from Znojmo sub-region producers. Ask specifically about the Sauvignon Blanc and the Riesling — the granitoid soil does to Riesling in Znojmo what limestone does to Chablis: it creates a mineral intensity that's the whole point.

   Backup: The standard weekday group tasting at 450 CZK gives you the underground cellar experience and 5 wines without the dinner component. Still worthwhile — you're in the medieval tunnel system drinking Moravian wine, which is the core experience.

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