Minaret in Lednice

The Lednice Minaret is part of the Lednice-Valtice area, located about 2 km north of Lednice and about 12 km northwest of Břeclav. It is located at an altitude of 175 meters and was exhibited in the late 18th and early 19th century.

Its total height is 64.8 meters. 302 steps lead to the observation deck and from a height of 55 meters you will have a view of the entire Lednice-Valtice area, Pálava and the Břeclav region.

Access to the minaret is very easy. The Lednice-Valtice area is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, which is why the road to this monument is well marked. From the D2 motorway, just take exit 41 and drive through Podivín to Lednice. From Lednice Castle, take the walking circuit to the minaret. The road to it from the castle is about 1.5 km long.

In April and October, the minaret is open every day except Monday from 9 am to 4 pm. From May to September, the minaret is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00, except for a lunch break from 12:00 until 13:00.

The construction of the Lednice Minaret took place on the initiative of Prince Alois I Josef of Liechtenstein, who wanted to improve the Lednice park. For this purpose, he commissioned the architect Josef Hardtmuth, who later also invented the pencil. The minaret was erected in the years 1797-1802, making it the oldest building in the entire complex and at the same time the largest building of its kind in non-Islamic countries.

There is a story connected with the construction of the minaret that the prince used it to protest against the village of Lednice, which did not sell him the land he wanted to use for the construction of the church.

The project of the Lednice minaret was allegedly drawn up by an architect overnight. The construction itself was preceded by measures due to the swampy terrain. It involved digging a foundation pit of one hundred and fifty stakes, into which 500 alder piles and at the top of ironed piles with a length of 17 meters were struck. The individual piles were connected by 96 oak gratings, on which the foundation stone slab was built, the cellar and the building itself, divided into a mosque and a tower.

The eight halls of the mosque are decorated with arabesques, probably created by Arab artists. The ground floor consists of twelve arcades. The roof is equipped with a dome and a turret with a gilded crescent.

Another legend is translated in connection with the scaffolding that was built to build the minaret. It was big and spindle, and the workers didn't have much confidence in it. To convince them, the corporal allegedly rode up on a horse after scaffolding.

The swampy terrain on which the minaret was built still causes problems for the construction. Due to it, the groundwater level fluctuates here, which disrupts the statics of the minaret. For example, cracks appeared in the lower part, so the minaret had to be fitted with steel reinforcements in the lower part. The building has been gradually repaired since 2005. In 2007, a general overhaul of the building took place.

In 2011, the Lednice Minaret won the award for the most beautiful lookout tower in the South Moravian Region within the iDnes internet portal, in which readers themselves vote.

Author: Andrea Štyndlová