Biskoupky – Nature, Culture and Trails along the Jihlava

Biskoupky lies on the left bank of the Jihlava and combines a distinctive river landscape with natural and cultural attractions within a compact regional area. The village belongs to the Střední Pojihlaví Nature Park, whose landscape is characterized by varied landscape areas, forests, rock formations and protected natural sites. This makes Biskoupky a starting point for different types of holidays: you can explore the landscape, regional history or opportunities for hiking and paddling.

Protected Landscapes and Geological Features

One of the notable natural areas is the Biskoupská hadcová steppe. It was designated a natural monument in 1979, covers 2.21 hectares and lies at an altitude of 228 to 270 metres. The protected natural monument is located on serpentine rock slopes west of Biskoupky, above the left bank of the Jihlava. Numerous pasque flowers and other endangered plant species grow on the steppe.

Biskoupský kopec also displays a distinctive landscape type. Xerothermic grassland communities grow on shallow soils, with junipers scattered among them. Warm-loving steppe grasslands containing a population of the large-flowered pasque flower, Pulsatilla grandis, as well as other specially protected and rare plant and animal species, are protected there. Near Biskoupky, sedimentary outcrops of the Skryje-Týřovice Cambrian, containing fossils, are also exposed. In this context, the site is a classic fossil locality of the Czech Middle Cambrian.

The surroundings of Biskoupky offer a network of marked trails for hiking. Another way to experience the regional landscape is the Templářská cycling route, which runs mostly along field and forest tracks or Class III roads. On the Jihlava, the section between the Mohelno Reservoir and Hrubšice is also used for paddling.

Village History and Literary Heritage

The village itself also contains small, clearly readable traces of the past. A chapel survives on the village square, along with a reconciliation stone from the 17th century. The former one-class school building was constructed in 1893 and used as a school until 1967; its former function is therefore an explicit part of the building’s history.

Biskoupky is also the birthplace of the poet and writer Vítězslav Nezval, who was born here on 26 May 1900. Nezval was a poet, writer and translator, a co-founder of Poetism and a leading figure in Czech Surrealism. His birthplace is a single-storey, two-wing building with a T-shaped floor plan. The long main wing has a hipped roof, while the shorter wing on the courtyard side has a gabled roof; the roofs are covered with plain clay tiles. A memorial plaque with a bronze portrait of the poet commemorates him on the eastern side façade.

The ruins of Templštýn lie in the vicinity of Biskoupky. They were founded at the end of the 13th century and were associated with the Templars in the Middle Ages. For a stay focused on culture, the village’s history, literature and medieval ruins therefore complement one another, without reducing Biskoupky to just one attraction.

Experiences for Different Types of Travel Days

When choosing accommodation in Biskoupky, you can use the desired character of your days as a guide: marked trails and protected landscapes offer hiking and nature observation, the Jihlava provides a documented paddling section, while the chapel, reconciliation stone, Nezval’s birthplace and Templštýn enable cultural and historical discoveries. Čarodějnický Dvůr Zoo Park also offers exotic animals.

For further orientation within the wider destination area, you can also consider Malešov, Branišovice, Sokolnice, Běleč, Katov, Skalička, Lesní Hluboké and Veverská Bítýška .

For the overview of the wider travel area: Brno-Country District.