Podyjí National Park, National park in South Moravia, Czech Republic

Podyjí National Park is a protected area in the Znojmo District of South Moravia, where a narrow valley follows the Czech-Austrian border for several kilometers. The landscape shows steep wooded hillsides dropping toward the riverbed, interrupted by rock outcrops and small clearings where grasses and wildflowers grow.

The area became a national park in 1991 after decades as a military buffer zone along the border with the West. This long isolation helped nature recover without much human interference and allowed many rare species to survive.

The name comes from the Dyje River, which flows through the park's valley. The park contains the Šobes vineyard track, one of the oldest and most renowned in the Czech Republic, with about 12 hectares of vines; the Znovín Znojmo company owns 70% of them and in 2014 sought UNESCO World Natural Heritage listing for the area.

The park administration is based in Znojmo and the visitor centre in the village of Čížov, which is an enclave excluded from the park itself. Trails lead to the ruins of Nový Hrádek, Hardegg Castle and Vranov nad Dyjí Chateau. The Dyje valley is up to 220 m deep, so expect steep, uneven ground.

The border between the Czech Republic and Austria runs through the middle of the river valley, so hikers often cross from one country to the other without noticing. Rangers on both sides work together to protect rare bird species like the black stork, which nests in quiet stretches of the river.