Location

The town of Podivín is situated on the northern edge of Lednice-Valtice Area about 10 km north of Břeclav.

History

Podivín is one of the oldest places in Moravia, which is reported in the Chronicle of Cosmas of 1067. Archaeological findings in the town cadastre are documented from the Bronze Age. The place itself seems to have played a more important role already in the Roman period, as demonstrated by the findings of coins and of the tank probably of Roman origin, hidden in the Cyrilka chapel preserved up to these days near the church of St. Peter and Paul, connected with the legend of the Moravian missionaries Konstantin-Cyril and Methodius. Podivín was characterized by religious tolerance, as evidenced by the long-stay of Moravian Anabaptists, Habans. They lived here from 1530 until their forced departure from the Czech lands in 1622. Until World War II, Podivín had a large Jewish community. The mention of it dates back to 1067 and is the oldest in Moravia.

Sights

Of the interesting sights located directly in the village we can mention the parish church of St. Peter and Paul, the chapel of Cyril and Methodius, a number of baroque sculptures, for example the group of statues Immaculata, and a Jewish cemetery with a romantic oriental ceremonial hall of the mid-19th century with a small museum exhibition. The town cadastre also includes two structures of Lednice-Valtice Area - the romantic Janohrad ruin and Obelisk.