Žďár nad Sázavou District

Žďár nad Sázavou District is divided into four administrative districts of municipalities with extended competence: Žďár nad Sázavou, Bystřice nad Pernštejnem, Nové Město na Moravě and Velké Meziříčí.

Landscape west of Žďár nad Sázavou

The landscape is rugged and diverse, with above-average elevations compared to the rest of the country. The territory extends into three geomorphological mesoregions: Křižanov Highlands (most of the territory), Upper Svratka Highlands (north and east) and Upper Sázava Hills (smalls part in the west). The highest point of the district is the mountain Devět skal in Křižánky with an elevation of 836 m (2,743 ft), the lowest point is the river bed of the Bobrůvka in Strážek at 370 m (1,210 ft).

From the total district area of 1,578.7 km² (609.5 sq mi), agricultural land occupies 874.7 km² (337.7 sq mi), forests occupy 552.2 km² (213.2 sq mi), and water area occupies 33.6 km² (13.0 sq mi). Forests cover 35.0% of the district's area.[1]

There are several important rivers, which spring here (in the area of Žďárské vrchy) and drain the territory. The Sázava flows through the north and west. The Svratka springs near the Sázava and flows through the north and east. The Oslava flows through the central part of the district to the south. Other notable watercourses are Bobrůvka and Balinka.

The territory is rich in bodies of water. The largest body of water is Vír I Reservoir. The largest pond is Velké Dářko, which is also the largest pond of the whole Vysočina Region.

Žďárské vrchy is the only protected landscape area in the district. It covers the northern part of the district.

The largest employers with headquarters in Žďár nad Sázavou District and at least 500 employees are:[5]

The D1 motorway from Prague to Brno passes through the southern part of the district.

Church of Saint John of Nepomuk

The pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk in Žďár nad Sázavou was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 because of its unique architectural style, created by architect Jan Santini Aichel.[6] It is the most important monument in the district and also the only monument protected as a national cultural monument.[7]

The best-preserved settlements, protected as monument reservations and monument zones, are:[8]

• Krátká (monument reservation)
• Křižánky (monument reservation)
• Jimramov
• Nové Město na Moravě
• Velká Bíteš
• Velké Meziříčí
• Ubušínek

The most visited tourist destinations are the Šikland western town in Zvole, Mining Museum in Nové Město na Moravě, Žďár nad Sázavou Castle, and Eden Centrum amusement park in Bystřice nad Pernštejnem.[9]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Žďár nad Sázavou District.

• Žďár nad Sázavou District – profile on the Czech Statistical Office website