Tips on Trips

ZOO Jihlava

„The zoo without bars“ is home for 100 rare species of animals, including 17 species classified in European breeding programs. The Zoo specializes on raising and breeding felines, apes and reptiles.

The membership in professional organizations:

The Jihlava ZOO is located in the valley of the Jihlávka River, in a park about 10 minutes by foot from downtown. Spreading over an area of 6,56 hectares, it is a home for over 400 animals and 100 species. Founded in 1957, the ZOO has become one of the first bar-less ZOO’s in the country. The ZOO is merited primarily for its outstanding success in breeding rare animal species. It is open daily all year round. Children particularly enjoy a non-traditionally designed children’s corner with hands-on contact with animals. In the summer season the commented feeding of animals and the show of training of owls and birds of prey takes a place here every year.

The ZOO’s exposition of an African village, Matongo, is the largest replica of an African huts in Central Europe. Also an aviary for a rare parrots (macaw hyacinth) and a newly opened exposition „Shetland’s Island“ made up of pony stable, watch light and outside lookout are a considerable invitation for visitors. During unfavorable weather, visitors may visit the exotarium with primates and reptiles. The wildcat pavilion allows visitors to see the animals from a very short distance. The Amazon Pavilion features a group of rare claw monkeys, which are – along with wildcats and reptiles – the ZOO’s speciality. A particularly attractive part of the ZOO is the seal pavilion which also features a side water pool with otters.

The new entry area was opened in 2006 and includes among others servis for visitors an exhibition for animals. Visitors are welcome to take a rest and refresh in the restaurant, in the sweetshop or the bar. The gift shop offers a variety of souvenirs. There is also a small train that children can ride. The visitors can sit down and take a rest on many benches through the Zoo. The information system helps to improve our knowledge of the animal world. The ZOO is surrounded with a huge park, called Small and Large Heulos, that forms a quiet zone between the walls of the inner city of Jihlava and a large high-rise settlement. Funded from the means collected amongst Jihlava’s merchants during a fund-raising event, the park was created in 1824 by reforestation of a steep hill below the city walls.

The park is interwoven with many footpaths. In the 19th century, their crossings were adorned with charming garden pavilions and arbors. Later on, the opposite side of the valley was planted with a variety of trees and topped, during the 20th century, with an alley of exotic conifers. Over the last few decades, the park has deteriorated considerably. Much effort has been made most recently gradually to restore it to its one-time appearance.

Aqua park

The swimming area Vodní ráj is located in Jihlava, on Romana Havelky Street, behind the Baumax Shopping Center. It is a very popular entertainment center, a genuine paradise that has a lot to offer both in the summer and winter. The swimming area consists of a system of water pools, some of them for seasonal use in the summer, other built for all-year operation.

There is an oval swimming pool for visitors seeking relaxation, as well as numerous attractions for active leisure, such as toboggan, double slide, a wild river, pearl mattresses, wall massage nozzles, underwater blowers, water fountains, large mushroom, and water wall with underwater lights. Nobody comes short, not even visitors who want to do swimming as a part of a fitness program – these may use a 25-meter outdoor swimming pool with five lanes. The swimming area is equally pleasant and a lot of fun for parents with children. Children use a round pool with a water castle, mushroom, small slide, an 8-shaped wading pool, with a stuff-in holes, and a small slide.

Above all, serving for sun-shining, the grass plot fits in over 2000 visitors. Adjacent to the swimming pools are two courts for volleyball and a multi-purpose, artificial-surface court for tennis, netball, and volleyball.

The system of indoor swimming pools and the round outdoor pool are in operation all year round, including the attractions for sports and entertainment. The complex is furthermore equipped with a steam cabin, with optional fragrances of the individual visitor’s choice, a classical dry sauna, a massage parlor, and a turbo-solarium.

Certain water attractions are available in the winter as well, such as an indoor toboggan, a wild river, pearl mattresses, and waterfalls. A whirlpool for up to 12 persons forms part of the indoor attractions. The total capacity of the indoor swimming pools is 240 persons. Vodní ráj is open all year round (beyond September in regard of necessary engineering wors), always prepared to offer you a variety of opportunities to spend a pleasant day doing sports or just relaxing.

The regional Gallery of Highlands

Situated in two historicial houses in downtown Jihlava, the Gallery is quite remarkable from the atchitectural viewpoint too. While the facades respresent the Gothic era and the maashouse(drive-throught passage) on the ground floor features Tuscany columns, the pride of the Gallery are the upper floor halls with Renaissance decoration.

Exposition Gustav Mahler and Jihlava

Gustav Mahler, musical composer and conductor, was born in 1860 in Kaliste near Humpolec. Same year in October the family moved to Jihlava. He is considered to be the last great symphonist of the 19thcentury. Exposition presence a world of young Gustav Mahler, his surroundings, inspiration, and his later connections he had towards Jihlava. Exposition is completed with multimedia presentation, where is possible to listen to some of the Mahler´s music.

The Museum oh Highlands

The museum founded in 1892 is the second largest museum in the Moravia region. The museum´s exhibits are placed in two architectonically valuable renaissance houses on the square(Masaryk square 57 and 58) which were interconnected for the purpose of museum. The right house, in principle rebuilt in 1580–1590, became the most brownstone patrician house, which is supported by splendid space of the high two-storied inner hall with arcade loggia and Tuscany columns. The left house, so-called Meisterhaus is the oldest house with renaissance indoor storeyed court, a wealthy drapery´s guild got a possenssion of this house in 1630.

Jihlava´s underground

Jihlava´s under­ground passanges are a singnificant monument of the town´s ancient architecture. Their total lenght is 25 km, covering an area of 50,000 square meters. The multiple-level corridors are cut into hard rock under almost all the houses in the historic centre. Corridor´s la­byrinth was not made all of a sudden, but was created other tens maybe hundreds years. Corridors are exhausted by very special techniques, so it is very presumable the workings were made by miners. In the underground was a warehouse of various products e.g. drapery and foodstuff e.g beer. In 1978 was dicovered a so-called “shining corridor”. Lies about 11 metres under the street level; it is 2.1 metres wide and 2.9 meters hight and it is the greatest rarity of Jihalva´s under­ground.

Jihlavas´s town hall

After extensive reconstruction during the years 2004–2005 the town hall is open to a public again. Complex of three originally single medieval houses with very interesting architecture serves as a town hall since 1425. Especially the Great Ghotic Hall, Ghotic and Baroque ceremony halls, historic fresco decoration and set of preserved painted ceilings or authentic black kitchen came in for an admiration of visitors.

Gate of Holy Mother

This gate is the only preserved of the original five medieval portals surrounding the town. It was built in the 13thcentury, during the construction of the town-all the bottom part is gothic, and addition of the 4th and 5th floor including an attic is from the renaissance period. At present time is the gate open to a public as an outlook tower.

Outlook tower at church of St. Jacob

Visible from afar, the steepler of this churých dominate the town. The church was dedicated in 1257. In 1563 a bell traditionally called “Zuzana“, was suspended into a southern tower-the second largest bell in Moravia. A 1561 historical source specifies the schedule of the tower master-he was to blow the horn on the hour, welcome important visitors with fanfares, and watch the town to protect it from fire and enemies. The last tower master left the tower in 1924. The chapel og Grieving Virgin Mary

Bulit up to the church of St.Jacob in 1702. An altar of the chapel is decorated by a unique Pieta(around the years 1350)

Fortification

The remains of the fortification walls were reconstructed to restore their 17th century Baroque appearance and the bailey strip was converted into a park.

Educational mining path

The circuit offers 10 stops with information boards in surrounding of the Rudný hill which informs visitors about the rests of mining workings, history of lookout on the Rudý hill and natural interests. The map of this circuilt trace is situated right on the first standing place. Other localities with rests of mining: “Shaft of St. John Nepomucký“ (so-called Dwarfish cave), Rounek and Bílý Kámen (White Stone).

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