Jihlava: History, Culture and Brewing Tradition

Jihlava between Urban History and Brewing Tradition

Jihlava combines impressive evidence of the city’s history with museums, special viewpoints and a vibrant brewing tradition. Jihlava’s underground tunnel system, Jihlavské podzemí, is 25 kilometres long in total. You can explore historic buildings from different perspectives and engage with the city’s cultural diversity. When choosing your accommodation, it helps to first determine the focus of your stay: Are you primarily interested in history, exhibitions, sacred buildings, beer culture or the interplay between the cityscape and parkland?

Historic Places with Their Own Perspectives

Jihlava’s underground tunnel system, Jihlavské podzemí, is 25 kilometres long in total and is one of the city’s unusual historical attractions. Brána Matky Boží offers a different view of Jihlava. It is Jihlava’s last surviving historic city gate and features a viewpoint and an exhibition. From the original watchtower summit, you can enjoy a panorama of central Jihlava.

The Muzeum Vysočiny Jihlava presents Jihlava’s history from the Gothic period to the 20th century. The natural history exhibitions also cover the region’s waters, meadows and forests in Českomoravská vrchovina. Dům Gustava Mahlera illustrates the coexistence and interconnectedness of Czech, German and Jewish cultures in Jihlava.

The Church of St James the Greater is a national cultural monument and the city’s most important parish church. It offers tours of the interior and historic roof structures. Guided tours with commentary at Stříbrný dům explain the history of one of the oldest burgher houses in Jihlava. You can also see furnishings from the royal mint that were found in the courtyard of the house during renovation work. Jihlava Town Hall can be visited as part of guided tours with commentary organised by Brána Jihlavy.

Parkland and Regional Themes

Gustav Mahler Park combines water, rolling lawns, sharply formed and stone elements with the historic site of the zwinger, the course of the city wall and the exposed foundations of a burned-down synagogue. In Jihlava, this places a site where the cityscape, history and landscape overlap at the centre of attention alongside the museums and buildings.

Following the History of Beer

By prior reservation, Pivovar Jihlava offers tours of the brewhouse, fermentation room and storage cellars, ending with a beer tasting. Along the Pivovarská naučná stezka, twelve information panels provide insights into Jihlava’s brewing tradition. These two offerings have different focuses: the brewery tour shows the rooms used for brewing operations, while the educational trail stations provide information about the local brewing tradition.

When looking for accommodation in Jihlava, you can tailor your research to the experiences you would like to combine during your stay. Cultural history, museums, viewpoints, parkland and beer tradition offer several clearly distinct themes. Find more travel ideas in Švábov, Kostelní Myslová, Vanůvek, Kamenná and Jihlavy, Vysoké Studnice, Zbilidy, Vystrčenovice and Velký Beranov.

To the higher-level travel overview: Okres Jihlava.