Poppies in bloom, Moravia, Czech Republic

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‘Moravian Tuscany’. Poppies in bloom

The soft, rolling hills and ample vineyards of this southeastern part of the Czech Republic have earned it the nickname ‘The Moravian Tuscany.’ This picturesque area, located in the Hodonín District near the town of Kyjov, is heaven for photographers. Moravia has a rich history, and the long-settled region has been a part of numerous empires. Medieval and Ottoman castles are among the historic highlights for visitors to take in.

Poppies have been revered for their beauty and medicinal qualities since ancient times. The Greeks and Romans used them as offerings to the dead. Poppies on tombstones represented eternal sleep, a symbology Frank L. Baum tapped into when the characters in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ begin to fall asleep in a poppy field. The poem ‘In Flanders Fields,’ with its reference to red poppies growing on the graves of fallen soldiers, is the reason the flower is associated today with Memorial Day (aka Remembrance Day).