| Vratěnín | |
| Settlement Type: | Market town |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | South Moravian |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Znojmo |
| Pushpin Map: | Czech Republic |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in the Czech Republic |
| Coordinates: | 48.9042°N 15.5953°W |
| Established Title: | First mentioned |
| Established Date: | 1251 |
| Area Total Km2: | 14.73 |
| Elevation M: | 468 |
| Population As Of: | 2024-01-01 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 281 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | CET |
| Utc Offset1: | +1 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 671 07 |
Vratěnín is a market town in Znojmo District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 300 inhabitants.
Vratěnín is located about west of Znojmo and 79km (49miles) southwest of Brno. It lies in the Jevišovice Uplands. The highest point is the hill Šibeník at 517m (1,696feet) above sea level. The brook Vratěnínský potok flows through the market town. There are two fishponds in the municipal territory: Vratěnínský and Karáskův.
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.[2]
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.[2]
The road border crossing Vratěnín / Oberthürnau with Austria is located here. There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipal territory.
The main landmark of Vratěnín is the Church of Saint James the Great. It was built in the late Baroque style in 1771–1773.[3]