Vysočina: Telč, Třebíč and the star church of Zelená Hora

Route description

Leave Brno west on route 23, a quiet two-lane road through rolling farmland, and reach Třebíč in about an hour. The town’s Jewish quarter and St Procopius Basilica are listed by UNESCO together. Park near the basilica, walk down to the river and cross into the lanes of the old quarter, with its two synagogues and a large Jewish cemetery on the hillside behind.

Continue on route 23 to Telč, about 35 km, one of the most photographed towns in the country. The long market square is lined with arcaded houses with painted gables and ends at a Renaissance château. Stay overnight if you can: the square is at its best in the evening light and early morning, and walks lead around the fish ponds that encircle the old town.

From Telč head north to Žďár nad Sázavou, about 80 km through Jihlava. On the Green Hill above the town, Jan Santini’s pilgrimage church of St John of Nepomuk is built on a five-pointed star plan, and every detail repeats the number five. It is a short walk up from the monastery car park, and the monastery itself has a museum.

From Žďár drive via Havlíčkův Brod and Čáslav to Kutná Hora, about 90 km, to add its silver-mining cathedral and the Sedlec Ossuary before the last 80 km to Prague. The roads are easy for motorhomes, and parking outside the town walls of Telč is straightforward. Castles and churches keep reduced hours between November and March, so late spring to early autumn is best.