Contact
Město Dolní Kounice
Masarykovo náměstí 66/2
664 64 Dolní Kounice
Phone: +420 546 421 310
Fax: +420 546 421 304
E-mail: info@dolnikounice.cz
Where you can find us?
Opening hours 2010
Monastery
4 March–31 October: Sa, Su, 5 April, 1 May, 8 May, 5 July, 28 September, 28 October: 10:00–17:00
6 July–31 August: Tu–Su 10:00–17:00
Synagogue
3 July–12 September: Sa, Su 10:00–17:00
TIC Dolní Kounice
Tel. 546 420 005
E-mail:
tic@dolnikounice.cz
Miloslava Rýdlová
Castle
1 May–31 September: Sa, Su 10:00–17:30
5. and 6. 7. 2010: 10:00–17:30
Ancient town of Dolní Kounice
The ancient town of Dolní Kounice is situated about 25 km south from Brno in the valley of the Jihlava river. In the town you can find plenty of monuments from different periods – the chapel of St. Anthony, romantic ruins of the convent Rosa coeli, the castle, the Jewish synagogue and Jewish cemetery, other churches and chapels, renaissance and baroque houses, columns with crucifixion and Marian columns standing by the roadsides.
Orchards and vineyards where the famous “frankovka” is grown increase the attractiveness of this town.
A visitor who comes to Dolní Kounice can see the
chapel of St. Anthony on the hill above the town which
was built in 1757 by František Antonín Grim.
There is a Calvary with 14 stations leading to the chapel.
St. Anthony’s Day is celebrated annually in June.
There is an extensive skyline of the castle on the
opposite hill. This remarkable monument was originally
built for the defence of the convent. It
acquired its present monumentality thanks to its reconstruction
in 1532–1552
when the castle was in hands of
Jiří Žabka z Limberka and also
in 1588–1604
under the owner Bernard Drnovský z Drnovic. Currently
the castle is in private hands.
Below the castle there is the most significant and
the most valuable historical monument of the town – the unique
ruin of the convent Rosa coeli. The convent was founded
in 1181 by Vilém z Pulína for the sisters of the
Premonstrate Order. Vilém z Pulína was forced to
built this convent as a punishment for the depredation
of monasteries and churches in Austria. In
1330–1390
it was reconstructed in the gothic style
and today you can see well-preserved arches, key-stones
and consoles there. The convent was burnt out during
the Hussite wars and from that time we can speak about
the decline of the convent. The efforts to restore
the convent in 17th century were dashed by
the fire in 1703. In 1808 the monument was sold into
secular hands and today various cultural events
take place there.
Most of the towns’ monuments are situated in Masaryk
Square and the close neighbourhood. On the eastern
side of the square you can find St. Peter and Paul’s
church. It was built in the neo-renaissance style
in 1877–1879.
The other sacred monument – St. Fabian, Šebastián
and St. Barbora’s church – can be found behind
St. Peter and Paul’s church on the hill.
This originally protestant
church was built in the 17th century. Now it belongs to
the Orthodox Church.
On the western edge of Masaryk Square there is
a valuable Jewish synagogue in moresque-renaissance
style from 1652 and it is one of the oldest synagogues
in Moravia. There used to be a Jewish ghetto around
the synagogue; today there are just a few preserved houses.
The Jewish community was the most numerous in 1848
when there were 650 Jews living in Dolní
Kounice. During World War II all 57 Jewish
residents were deported to the concentration camp in
Terezín. Only one lady survived – Mrs Ruth Morgenstern
who lives in Brno. After the war the synagogue
was used as vegetable warehouse, the reconstruction
started in 1991 and was finished in 2004. At present
the synagogue is open to the public and cultural events are
held there.
There is a Jewish cemetery from 1680 just beside the
synagogue where you can find about 1500 gravestones.
One of the most remarkable gravestones belongs to the
Kreisky family, who were the relatives of the Austrian
ex-chancellor Bruno Kreisky who visited Dolní Kounice.
Kounice.
In square and nearby streets you can find
many notable renaissance and baroque houses especially
in the Tovarní street and Hlavní street. In Náměstí Míru
square on the left bank of the river there is a chapel
of St. John the Baptist. It is a reminder of the cemetery
destroyed in 1947.
On the outskirts of the town you can see some
crosses and columns with crucifixions that are said
to be the mouths of the underground corridors leading
from the convent or from the castle.
A visit to Dolní Kounice leaves everyone with an unforgettable experience thanks to the cultural and spiritual value of the ancient town – and also thanks to the social gathering at a wine cellar.