Vratěnín

Vratěnín is a market town in Znojmo District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 300 inhabitants.

Geography
Vratěnín is located about 33 km west of Znojmo and 79 km southwest of Brno. It lies in the Jevišovice Uplands. The highest point is the hill Šibeník at 517 m above sea level. The brook Vratěnínský potok flows through the market town. There are two fishponds in the municipal territory: Vratěnínský and Karáskův.

History
The first written mention of Vratěnín is from 1251. It was located on an old trade route from Prague to Vienna. In 1325, Vratěnín was promoted to a market town by King John of Bohemia. From 1423 to 1564, the market town was ruled by the Krajíř of Krajek noble family. In 1526–1532 the first postal connection between Prague and Vienna led through the market town. A large post office was built here in 1700 and today the building serves as the municipal office.

In the 17th century, Vratěnín was owned by the Berchtold family, who founded here a monastery. The monastery was built in 1719–1730, but already in 1784 it was abolished. During the reign of Maria Theresa (between 1740 and 1780), a new postal route was established and the importance of Vratěnín decreased.

Transport
The road border crossing Vratěnín / Oberthürnau with Austria is located here. There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipal territory.

Sights
The main landmark of Vratěnín is the Church of Saint James the Great. It was built in the late Baroque style in 1771–1773.