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The origins of Vranov nad Dyjí go back to a border fortress on the river Dyje (german: Thaya) which had existed from the 11th/12th century. The owners of the place had been, among others, the Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem and, between 1617 and 1793, the Counts Althann. Since 1561, Vranov has the status of a market town.

The Baroque castle of Vranov was built by Count Michael Johann Althann at the end of the 17th century after the old castle had been destroyed by Swedish troops in 1645 and by a fire in 1665. The main architect was Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. The interior is decorated by important frescos of Johann Michael Rottmayr and sculptures of Tobias Kracker. The castle is the most important example of Viennese Baroque architecture in the Czech Republic. The last additions were made in 1787 in Classicist style.