The lightning rod on the roof of every church and apartment block has a surprisingly Moravian origin. It was invented and built by Prokop Diviš, right here at Loucký Monastery in Znojmo. And that is exactly where a cimbalom evening will ring out on Friday under a name that winks at all that thunder: Cimbál, víno, hromy bijú. If you are looking for the best events in Znojmo next week, this is one of four worth your time. They share one common thread - a glass of wine is always within reach, whether you head to folk music beneath the monastery walls, a concert by a Slovak band among the vine rows, or a guided tasting in a cellar.

Best events in Znojmo this weekend: a quick overview

On Friday 17 July you can choose between cimbalom music in the courtyard of Loucký Monastery and a concert by the band NO NAME at Vinařství Lahofer. On Saturday 18 July there is a tasting with sommelier Jakub Přibyl and a family flea market at GaP. Everything within a few kilometres of each other.

Znojmo is hitting its stride in mid-July. Four events have come together that collectively capture what this corner of South Moravia is all about: wine, folk tradition, and the pleasure of gathering outdoors. If you are looking for the best events in Znojmo this weekend, here are the four worth making the trip for:

We will now look at each of them in more detail, including what lies behind these venues and why they make sense even for someone visiting Znojmo for the first time.

Cimbalom, wine and "hromy bijú" in the courtyard of Loucký Monastery

Cimbalom music under the open sky in the grounds of one of the largest Baroque buildings in Moravia. Tickets are sold online through SMSticket.

The event with the poetic name Cimbál, víno, hromy bijú takes place on Friday 17 July in the courtyard of Loucký Monastery. The venue itself is half the experience. Loucký Monastery is a Premonstratensian monastery in the Louka district of Znojmo, founded in 1190 by the Přemyslid prince Konrád Ota and his mother Marie. The walls around you have therefore been standing for over eight centuries. It was one of the most important monasteries in Central Europe and one of the largest in the Czech lands, even though its entire complex was never completed.

Over that time the complex has played many roles. In the 18th century the Premonstratensians began a major reconstruction, but it was left unfinished because the monastery was dissolved in 1784 as a result of the ecclesiastical reforms of Joseph II. Since then the buildings have housed a tobacco processing factory and a military academy, which operated here until 1993, as the monastery served as a barracks. One precious thing the monastery lost long ago: the unique monastic library moved to the Premonstratensian monastery at Strahov in Prague following the dissolution of the monastery during the Josephine reforms.

Today the complex belongs to the city, and part of it is brought to life by wine. It is currently a historic monument owned by the city of Znojmo, which leases part of the monastery to the wine company Znovín; in 2017 the monastery was declared a National Cultural Monument of the Czech Republic. So when the "thunder strikes" on Friday, you will have something to think about between two sips - the lightning rod that has protected countless rooftops has its roots right here. Tickets for the cimbalom show are sold online through SMSticket. The exact start time and price are not shown in our listing for this event, so it is worth checking them directly with the ticket seller.

NO NAME at Vinařství Lahofer: melodies you know from the radio

The band NO NAME plays on Friday 17 July at Vinařství Lahofer, whose award-winning building in the shape of a concrete wave has a rooftop amphitheatre made for concerts. Tickets are handled through Bandsintown.

The second Friday highlight is a concert by NO NAME. If the name means nothing to you, the melodies will come back within the first few bars. No Name is a six-member Slovak pop-rock band founded on 26 August 1996 in Košice, and on that same day they won a local band competition called Košický zlatý poklad '96. The founding members were Viliam Gutray and three Timko brothers, Igor, Roman and Ivan. The youngest brother, Dušan, joined the band later. They went on tour as six, reinforced by the youngest brother Dušan.

The breakthrough did not come straight away. The real breakthrough came in 2000 with the album Počkám si na zázrak, driven above all by the songs "Ty a Tvoja sestra" and "Žily"; successful records Oslávme si život, Slová do tmy and Čím to je followed. That the rise extended beyond Slovakia is shown by a few numbers. The song Žily reached the top five most-played tracks on Czech radio stations in 2001. The album Počkám si na zázrak contained the hits Žily and Ty a tvoja sestra, and both songs helped the band win five Slovak Grammy awards. And can the band deliver live? In 2004 alone they played a total of 137 concerts.

The concert venue is an attraction in its own right. The new building of Vinařství Lahofer stands in the U Hájku vineyard between the villages of Dobšice and Suchohrdly in the Znojmo region. The design came from the Brno studio of Ondřej Chybík and Michal Krištof, and the organic shape of the "concrete wave" expresses respect for the craft of winemaking. The wave has a walkable roof that serves as an amphitheatre. The dominant feature of the building is the walkable roof, which serves as a summer amphitheatre, and during the season concerts, theatre performances and film screenings are held here. Behind the design is a duo that has also earned international recognition: architects Ondřej Chybík and Michal Krištof were the first ever from the Czech Republic and Slovakia to receive the prestigious Design Vanguard 2019 award for the best young architects in the world.

And it goes without saying that the wine on hand will be no ordinary drop. Vinařství Lahofer, founded in 2003 in Znojmo, today has 430 hectares of vineyards and an annual production of up to 800,000 bottles, making it one of the largest wine growers in the country. Tickets for the concert are handled through Bandsintown; we recommend checking the start time directly in the event listing.

Wine in the starring role: sommelier Jakub Přibyl and the Saturday flea market

Saturday calls for a slower pace. A flea market at GaP for the whole family and a guided tasting with a sommelier at Sklepení U císaře Zikmunda.

If Friday keeps you on your feet, Saturday can be spent sitting down. Jakub Přibyl will guide you through wine on Saturday 18 July at Sklepení U císaře Zikmunda right in Znojmo. The charm of a guided tasting is that there is no rush. You find out why one wine smells of lime blossom and another of black pepper, and above all you can verify it on the spot in your glass. For newcomers to the world of wine it is a great entry point; connoisseurs will appreciate the insight into specific vineyard sites of the Znojmo region. Tickets are sold through SMSticket; again, please check the exact time and price with the seller.

The Znojmo region is not a top wine region by accident. This is where the first appellation system in the Czech Republic was created. The Znojmo wine sub-region introduced the first appellation system in the Czech Republic, VOC Znojmo, whose founders were Jiří Hort and Jaroslav Chaloupecký, and the approval process was successfully completed in 2009. So if during the weekend you come across a label bearing the VOC Znojmo designation, you know you are holding a wine that the region considers its calling card.

And for those who want to make Saturday a family affair or go treasure hunting: GaP is hosting a flea market for adults and children. Flea markets have the advantage that you can spend an hour or an entire morning there, depending on how seriously you take the hunt for hidden gems. The programme is relaxed, so it also works well as a warm-up before an afternoon with wine.

Why the wines of the Znojmo region taste so good

The Znojmo appellation system VOC watches over the three most typical varieties of the region, and the Znojmo sub-region is one of the largest in Moravia. Aromatic white wines are the local speciality.

What is interesting is how strictly the Znojmo region guards its reputation. The appellation system covers only wines from the three most typical varieties of the Znojmo region - Sauvignon, Riesling and Grüner Veltliner - or their cuvées, which display a regionally typical, consistent flavour profile. The association of the same name today brings together 22 regional winemakers from the Znojmo wine sub-region. The system continues to develop: since 2013 the VOC Znojmo appellation system has expanded to include an exclusive Royal Range, whose wines have great potential for bottle ageing.

In terms of scale, these are major players. The Znojmo sub-region is one of the four sub-regions of the Moravian wine region, encompasses a total of 3,530 hectares of vineyards and 91 wine-producing villages, and is renowned above all for its aromatic white wines. And since we are talking about wine and music in the same place: in May that symbiosis spills over into a major event. The VOC Znojmo wine festival, which combines wine, folk tradition and gastronomy, is held every year on 8 May, when visitors to the Upper Square can taste newly classified wines, and the event also features a rich folk programme, with cimbalom bands playing on the variety-themed streets. Cimbalom, wine and South Moravia simply belong together all year round.

Practical info: how to get there and what to expect

The monastery courtyard and the cellar are both walkable within Znojmo; Vinařství Lahofer is just outside the city. If you are drinking wine, remember the zero-tolerance drink-driving rule.

Znojmo is a compact historic city, so two of the four events are manageable without a car. The monastery is a different matter - it stands in the Louka district of Znojmo and there is a parking area nearby. For parking cars and coaches it is possible to use the car park in front of the entrance to the Louka swimming pool, approximately 100 metres from the entrance to the Loucký Monastery complex.

Vinařství Lahofer is the only venue of our four that lies outside the centre. As already mentioned, the building stands in the U Hájku vineyard between Dobšice and Suchohrdly, so from the city allow for a short drive or an arranged lift. That goes doubly if you plan to sit and enjoy wine: South Moravia has a zero-tolerance drink-driving policy, which was incidentally also the reason why the wine bus Vinobus used to run here. For visitors to the Znojmo region it was a welcome way to avoid problems with the zero-tolerance drink-driving rule or when cycling.

One last practical note concerns times and prices. For none of these four events do we have a uniform start time or admission price in our listing, so please check the specific details directly with the ticket seller or on our detailed event page. If you want to get an idea in advance of what else is coming up in the city, take a look at our concert listings and the full events calendar.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I buy tickets for these events in Znojmo?

Cimbál, víno, hromy bijú and the afternoon with sommelier Jakub Přibyl have tickets on sale through SMSticket; the NO NAME concert is handled through Bandsintown. Links to the specific ticket sales can be found directly on the individual event pages in our calendar. The GaP flea market is more of a freely accessible event.

Which of these events are suitable for families with children?

The best choice for families is the GaP flea market, which is, as the name suggests, aimed at both adults and children. The afternoon tasting with the sommelier, on the other hand, is geared towards adult wine lovers.

What is the best event in Znojmo if I love live music?

If you are going for a concert, go for the band NO NAME at Vinařství Lahofer. They are a Slovak pop-rock institution with hits you know from the radio, and the setting is an award-winning amphitheatre among the vineyards.

How do I get to Vinařství Lahofer?

The winery is located in the U Hájku vineyard between Dobšice and Suchohrdly, just outside Znojmo. It is a short drive from the centre. If you plan to taste wine, arrange a lift in advance - South Moravia has a zero-tolerance drink-driving policy.

What makes Znojmo wine special?

The Znojmo region is behind the first appellation system in the Czech Republic, the VOC Znojmo designation. It covers the three most typical varieties of the region: Sauvignon, Riesling and Grüner Veltliner. The Znojmo sub-region is defined above all by its aromatic white wines.

Sources

  • Cimbál, víno, hromy bijú - courtyard of Loucký Monastery, Znojmo (kdykam.com)
  • NO NAME :: music band - Vinařství Lahofer, Znojmo (kdykam.com)
  • An afternoon with sommelier Jakub Přibyl - Sklepení U císaře Zikmunda, Znojmo (kdykam.com)
  • GaP flea market / for adults and children - GaP, Znojmo (kdykam.com)
  • Loucký Monastery - Wikipedia, South Moravia portal and Znovín (history, national cultural monument, Prokop Diviš, Strahov library)
  • No Name - Bandzone and Youradio (history, discography, awards)
  • Vinařství Lahofer - archiweb.cz, Forbes and konstrukce.cz (Chybík+Krištof architecture, amphitheatre, vineyard scale)
  • VOC Znojmo - vocznojmo.cz, Czech Wine Growers Association and ZnojmoRegion (appellation system, varieties, Znojmo sub-region)