Moravian Slovakia is located in the south-eastern part of the Czech Republic, by the border with Austria and Slovakia. The region has preserved – quite naturally – many customs which are today labelled folklore; for many people, Moravian Slovakia is a synonym for folk traditions. As well as that it is an extraordinarily picturesque region, rich in historical and architectural monuments and renowned for its natural beauty, fertile land and the hospitality of its inhabitants.
Moravian Slovakia is rightly considered a region of excellent wine, vineyards and wine cellars (they can be found by almost every village). Of the ten Moravian wine-growing regions, eight are located in Moravian Slovakia. Visiting local wine cellars is an unforgettable experience for inhabitants from other parts of the Czech Republic - not only because of the excellent quality of wines served there, but also for their general atmosphere; the saying that wine and song belong to each other inseparably applies especially to Moravian Slovakia, because there are only a few other corners of the country where you can find so many beautiful singers and songs. In the local wine cellars even those who initially say they cannot sing start singing in the end.
The fact is that the songs and music of Moravian Slovakia’s musicians leave no one cold, be it the rousing sounds of brass orchestras or temperamental dulcimer music (both of which can be commonly heard at dances). There are only a few other regions where you can find so many bands and musical ensembles, popular regional competitions and festivals of folk singers and bands. People in Moravian Slovakia like to dance and they are indeed good at it; verbuňk, a traditional men’s dance from Moravian Slovakia, has even been added to the most important relics of the UNESCO World Non-material Cultural Heritage.
Traditional annual celebrations - the Easter obchůzka (going round the village) and the Ride of the Kings in spring, summer feasts, harvest and wine celebrations in autumn and Christmas plays, renowned wine and plum-brandy tasting, pig killing and tasting of pork specialities, usually combined with music, lively Shrovetide obchůzka and costumed balls – all offer wonderful spectacles for visitors, although they are ordinary parts of the year for the locals.
Moravian Slovakia is perhaps the most colourful region of the Czech Republic. That is reflected in the numerous relics of folk architecture scattered all over the region; the largest compact collections of these relics can be found in Strážnice, Pavlov, Hrubá Vrbka, Vápenky and Vlčnov. However, perhaps every village in Moravian Slovakia could be called colourful. In some of them this can even be taken at face value, as the tradition of “malérečky” (women who adorn small chapels and the windows and doors of dwellings with colourful flower motifs) continues to be very much alive.
The same lively colourfulness is characteristic of the folk costumes typical of Moravian Slovakia. The plural is used here by right, since the region, relatively small in size, boasts as many as 28 different kinds of folk garments! In some places only two or three villages have a common costume, while several kilometres away you can find distinct differences in the style of garments, the shaping of sleeves and head covers. All the costumes, however, distinguish  themselves by rich embroidery, vivid colours and original ornamentation. Folk costumes are very popular with young people and those who have inherited them from their grandmothers or grandfathers are considered very lucky. Others have at least new costumes made according to original patterns. If an important event is held in a village, wearing traditional festive garments is a must, because this will provide the event with an inimitable and extraordinarily festive atmosphere.
Moravian Slovakia naturally hosts a number of extraordinarily important folklore festivals which attract large crowds of visitors. The most famous of them is the popular Strážnice Festival, which is renowned not only in the Czech Republic, but also in the folklore-minded parts of Europe. The town of Kyjov regularly hosts the oldest folklore festival to be held in the Czech Republic. Taking place for the first time in 1921, it has a characteristic name - Slovácký rok (Moravian Slovakia’s Year). Another popular event, the Horňácko Celebrations, is held in Velká nad Veličkou every year.
Hana Tillmanová
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The biggest and the most beautiful
