Bystřice Region

Despite the fact that Bystřicko is a small region, you can visit many architectural gems here. One of the most romantic buildings is to be found in Vítochov. The Church of St. Michael here has been an unmistakable dominant feature of the surrounding area for many centuries already as well as the subject of interest of many painters and photographers. During your travels through the countryside, make sure not to miss the church in Zvole, the work of the genius architect Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel, the smallest tower of which is built in the shape of the Crown of St. Wenceslas.

Aquatic tourism

That was the competition category that led Bystřicko to the title of European Destination of Excellence. Water became the connection between all activities, even though the region has much more to offer. Its potential has not been fully utilized yet and that offers a rare luxury to those who visit – an intimate experience.
 
Bystřice nad Pernštejnem is the centre of the region. It is the starting point to a destination waiting to be discovered that offers numerous natural and cultural sites in addition to five nature preserves. Water is the main theme of a dedicated educational trail, an exposition of the Bystřicko Museum, and an exploration competition called Through the Bison Country. You can swim in beautiful lakes, outdoor swimming pools and several indoor pools.
 
Most of the dense network of cycling paths and trails follow the water. Wandering along the water basically brings visitors to the most attractive places in Bystřicko, which is not very large and thus ideal especially for hiking and cycling, or for cross-country skiing. There are regular and electric bike rentals there.

Through a countryside of peace and fun alike

It is worth seeing the kingdom of water from above at first. There are several lookout towers there, the most popular definitely being the Karasín Lookout Tower from which you can see the entire Bystřicko Region like in the palm of your hand.
 
Maybe the pensive peace and quiet, and time that seems to pass slowly are the virtues of the region. You can go on a beautiful day hike in the nature park of the Svratka Highlands, around the Vír Reservoir through the Horní les Lookout Tower all the way to Dalečín where the Svratecká Water Educational Trail with twenty-two information boards starts. It is also a very popular cycling trail.
 
The EDEN Centre in Bystřice nad Pernštejnem mostly focuses on families with children. You can try a lot of things in the Mansion Yard, Highland Village or in the futuristic Eco-Pavilion, check out the exposition of a carpenter’s workshop and a blacksmith’s shop, children will especially like the Story of the Soil with a Molehill, you can walk through a brewery and a pub, learn about traditional crafts of Bystřicko in the open-air village museum, visit a hemp-kiln, a weaving mill, a house of an old healer, a bee-keeper, a mill, or a pottery workshop.  The exposition of the Municipal Museum is also worth a visit, especially the new installation called Living Vysočina Fish.
 
The Bystřicko trip through the Middle Ages is inspiring - whether you visit the remarkable ruins of Gothic castles - Zubštejn, Aueršperk, Pyšolec, Dalečín, Bukov – Lísek, Mitrov. There are several tours through the castle and a few surprises prepared for history enthusiasts.
 
The whole family can have great fun in Šikland, an entertainment park that you can find in two places – in Dolní Rožínka, there is the stylish haunted Draxmoor Château, Šiklův mlýn in Zvole nad Pernštejnem includes Western Town as well as the Motosport Military Off-road Area.
 
The sacred monuments are also entrancing – in Zvole, you will find the work of genius Jan Santini Aichel,the Church of St. Wenceslas. One of the oldest churches in Vysočina, the stone Church of St. Michael can be found in Vítochov. The cubist Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Štěpánov nad Svratkou is also very interesting. And that is only a small taste of the region.

Lots of trips, even more experiences

A little bit of activity after a history lesson? No problem in Bystřicko! You can set out for the Vír Reservoir with the third highest dam in the Czech Republic. Although Vír is only used as a drinking water reservoir, the forest path around it is a great place for hiking, cycling and in winter also cross-country skiing. Would you like to see Vír from a bird’s eye perspective? Then climb to the top of the Karasín lookout tower, from where a beautiful view will open out for you over the reservoir itself and also the tops of the Žďár Peaks. Make sure to also visit the largest city in the region, Bystřice nad Pernštejnem. You will find everything you need to spend an active day full of fun in the sports centre here, which offers a climbing wall, indoor swimming pool, tennis courts and outside swimming baths.

Where else to set out for?

Do UNESCO monuments attract you? Roughly 30 km from Bystřice nad Pernštejnem, you can visit the mystical Church of St. John of Nepomuk at Zelená hora. You can engage your fantasy here whilst discovering the unique symbolism of the number five, which pervades the whole of this magnificent work.