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Lednice

Lednice is a village in southern Czech Republic just over the Austrian border.  It made a good stopover for us on our way to Prague.  The town and surrounds merit World Heritage listing, due to the impressive Palace and huge estate established by the House of Liechtenstein from the 13th Century.

Arriving fairly early in the morning gave us a good chance to walk around the grounds before things got too crowded.  We strolled through both the splendid formal gardens full of hedges, flowers and fountains and the more informal parkland which was a mix of meadows, stately old trees and lakes.



One of the more interesting parts of the gardens was the raptor display where various birds of prey were kept (and flown).  Unfortunately we didn't have time to take in a flying show but we did get a chance to observe the owls, hawks, falcons, vultures and other magnificent birds close up.
Grumpy cat knew better than to take on grumpy eagle 



After walking around the grounds we joined a paid tour of the formal parts of the Palace.  There was no English tour but thankfully we were given English language written guides to carry.


The last known unicorn was shot by Grand Duke Ferdinand in 1584 but to this day locals swear a thriving population exists in some of the more remote areas.


We were particularly impressed by the decorative woodwork.  Tables, staircases, floors and roofs were all very ornate.  There was a lot of art and trophy heads on display as well as some magnificent furniture.  In many ways the opulence resembled Versailles.




Lednice is one of the greatest and grandest old estates in Europe and is well worth a visit.




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