Vranov Fortress Museum
If you find yourself in Vranov nad Dyjí, you will definitely not miss a tour of the beautiful castle. But this is not the only attraction here. About two hundred meters above it, by the main road towards Šafov, on the edge of the forest, there are several fortress buildings that have been restored from various historical periods and can thus serve as a museum. The objects here, in the Junácké údolí valley, were chosen because a whole remarkable line has been preserved here.
Information for visitors
Interesting facts Vranov Fortress Museum
These light fortifications were nicknamed řopík in contemporary terminology, according to the abbreviation of the Directorate of Fortification Works (ŘOP), which was in charge of their construction. Between 1936 and 1938, a total of 178 older 36 buildings and 879 version 37 buildings were built in South Moravia, which were more durable. Depending on the individual types of forts, the crew was expected to be equipped with about 3-7 men. In this area of South Moravia, their main task was to protect the vital dam of the Vranov dam. This dam affected the level of the river Dyje, on which the defense between Znojmo and Novosedly depended.
The Vranov Fortress Museum manages two light fortifications and an educational trail around the third fortress. The first building is completely renovated to the condition in which it was in September 1938. It is equipped with mounts for heavy machine guns, mirror periscope, ventilation set and the most necessary weapons and equipment that the crew needed during their stay in the building. The entrance loophole or grenade slide is also interesting.
The second fortress is the only one here with two-shot. It is introduced to the state from the 70s of the last century, from the period of the "Cold War". Here, too, you can see mounts for machine guns, personal weapons of soldiers and their equipment, post-war ammunition traps and other parts of armaments from the 60s and 70s.
The nature trail leads around the third building, which in October 1938 became the target of a test of the quality of strength reinforced concrete by German engineers. The object is destroyed, but it looks like it was only recently shot down. You can see here how similar objects were concreted. There are also semi-sloping trenches from the period of mobilization in 1938.
The buildings are accessible from the outside all year round, the interiors only in July and August every day except Mondays and in May and June on weekends.
Author: Martina Limbergová