Moravia is a region of wine-makers, colorful folklore traditions, and, of course, ancient castles and fortresses.
In the modern Moravian capital, Brno, there are two major castle sites: Špilberk Castle, right in the center of the city, and Veverji Castle, in the suburbs.

Let's look at the second one, that is located on the outskirts of the city of Brno. Veverji is about 25 minutes drive from the city center. The castle is located on a hill, so getting to it on foot will be a good fitness workout.

According to official documents, the castle is more than 800 years old. Local legends attribute the castle for another century and a half. And even with the inaccuracies of dates, Veverji is one of the oldest (and largest!) castles not only in Moravia, but in the whole Czech Republic.

Name Veverji can be ironically translated as a "squirrel hole." "Veverka", the name of the stream over which the castle rises, means"squirrel" in Czech. The exterior of the castle has suffered over the years. The castle went through numerous sieges and repairs. The facade was also subjected to not very high- quality restoration work. But the castle has preserved a special atmosphere of grandeur and medieval life. This has always been appreciated by both aristocratic owners and its status guests. For instance, Winston Churchill visited the castle several times in the early XX century, including a visit to Veverji during his honeymoon.

It is necessary to take into account before visiting the castle that it is very cold inside it. This is especially noticeable at the beginning of the tourist season ( all the castles and fortresses in the Czech Republic start to work in April). Ancient buildings are not heated, and therefore there is often a feeling that a ghost breathing cold lurks in the halls of the castle. So the advice is to take warmer clothes with you, even if it's + 25 °C outside.