Archeoskanzen Modrá

About the museum

Archeoskanzen Modrá stands on a slope where people lived already in the Late Bronze Age; later Celts and Germanic peoples settled there, and from the 8th century Slavs. The settlement belonged to the hinterland of the Great Moravian Veligrad, and in the 9th century a stone church stood here, one of the oldest on Czech territory. Settlement on the slope ended at the beginning of the 13th century, when a Cistercian monastery was founded at Velehrad.

Jan Nevěřil uncovered the foundations of the church as early as 1911, and further research dated them to the turn of the 8th and 9th centuries. In the mid-1990s the village mayor pushed through the construction of a hypothetical reconstruction of the church of St John, which was consecrated and opened to the public on 15 September 2000. From 2003, after half a year of archaeological research, the construction of the skanzen itself followed, financed by the municipality from grants and subsidies; it was opened to the public on 19 June 2004.

The buildings are based on archaeological finds from the Uherské Hradiště area, mainly from Staré Město and Uherské Hradiště. The skanzen is the largest of its kind in the Czech Republic. The founder and operator is the municipality of Modrá, and the main guarantor is the Moravské zemské muzeum v Brně (Moravian Museum in Brno).

Highlights

• stone palace of the Great Moravian princes and bishops, with an accessible defensive tower
• underground Treasury of Great Moravia, with finds from the graves of the Great Moravian elite
• hypothetical reconstruction of the church of St John, a national cultural monument
• workshops of a goldsmith, potter, blacksmith, ironworker and metalcaster, with craft demonstrations
• wood-and-clay and stone fortifications with a palisade, and freely roaming domestic animals

Permanent exhibitions

• Archeoskanzen – rekonstrukce velkomoravského sídliště – A fortified 9th-century settlement with a princely and bishop’s palace, a church complex, production workshops, residential houses and a newly planted vineyard.
• Klenotnice Velké Moravy – Underground exhibition of finds from the graves of the Great Moravian elite, viewed with a guide.

Founded

2004

Operated by

Obec Modrá (hlavní garant: Moravské zemské muzeum)

Admission & discounts

Prices for 2026 by tour: tour 1 covers the skanzen, tour 2 the skanzen and the Treasury, tour 3 the Treasury only. Children under 3 enter free; two accompanying adults per 15 children and the leader of a group of more than 15 people (when paying jointly) also enter free. Card payment is possible; euros are not accepted.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The website states that the site is accessible for wheelchair users. Dogs are allowed on a lead.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Goats, pigs, chickens, geese and donkeys roam freely in the grounds. For schools there is a School Week called Život ve Velké Moravě (Life in Great Moravia) in June and September, and for groups an extended tour with a craft trial. Parents are asked to supervise their children.

Getting there & parking

Navigation address: Modrá 233, Velehrad.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Before the entrance there is a buffet with a terrace; there is a souvenir shop at the cash desk. Nearby are the restaurant of Hotel Skanzen and a restaurant by the basilica in Velehrad.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit