ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA	CZECH REPUBLIC
Jihomoravský kraj	South Moravia (Brno) region
Okres: Hodonín

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Veselí nad Moravou is situated at an elevation of 179 m on the river Morava (German: March) in the Hodonín district of South Moravia (Jihomoravský kraj). The town has a population of about 12,500.

The earliest mention of a castle at this pace dates from 1275. The stronghold was founded to protect a river ford which was part of an important trading road. In addition, it was one of a series of castles protecting the Hungarian border. The fortification was so strong that in 1315 it took the Bohemian King John of Luxemburg much effort to regain the castle for Bohemia. In the second half of the 14th century Veselí came in possession of the lords of Šternberk. In the Hussite Wars of the early 15th century, Veselí became one of the bases of King Václav IV (Wenzel, Wenceslaus IV). However, the town suffered heavily during the war between Bohemia and Hungary in 1469. During the following century, the castle gradually was transformed into a château, but nevertheless retained its strategic role up until the first half of the 16th century. In 1621/1623, during the Thirty Years' War, both town and castle again were the site of bloody battles. Eventually, the castle was set on fire and it took decades until it was restored again. The Renaissance castle was restored in the early 20th century. Adjacent to the castle, the English park, which covers about 20 ha, is another popular sight of Veselí nad Moravou.

The Baťa canal (Baťův kanál) from Otrokovice to Rohatec was built in 1936–1938 and was intended to become part of a projected waterway connecting Danube, Oder (Odra) and Elbe (Labe). The strech of the canal from Veselí nad Moravou to Strážnice today is a popular tourist attraction.

The church of the Holy Guardian Angels, was built in 1717–1734. The first Servite monks came to Veselí in 1732. The Servite monastery was consecrated in 1739 but the building works continued until 1764. Under Emperor Joseph II the monastery was dissolved in 1784 like so many others in the Austrian countries. In 1858 the church became the parish church of Veselí. The vaults of the church contain old graves of Servite monks and of family members of the Chorinský family who had founded the church.