The towns of Zd'ar nad Sazavou and Nove Mesto na Morave are the gateways to the
Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, particularly the Zd'ar Hills, one of the most beautiful areas in the Czech Republic.
Hedgie provides directions in 2 forms: verbal and pictorial.
If you hate the hassle of getting lost, print both for
an easy journey.
Driving times: From Prague: 2 hours. From Brno: 60 minutes. From Vienna: 2 hours
Minutes before the 141 exit is a rest stop on your right prominently featuring a McDonald's restaurant. This is your cue that your exit is next. (Note: if you miss your exit, you will see another McDonald's across the freeway on your left. This is your cue you have gone too far!)
The exit ramp makes a large arc so that you end at the junction with local road #602, which exactly parallels the freeway. Take a left onto #602, go to the SECOND road that branches off to the right. Take this road, #354, under the freeway.
The 25 kilometer drive to Zd'ar takes about 30 minutes. The first 15 kilometers are on road #354, the remainder on highway #37.
Road #354 winds through small villages,fields, and woods to get to get to highway #37. The villages, spaced about 2 kilometers apart, are: Kochanov, Netin, Zaseka, Zahradiste, Radostin nad Oslavou, and finally Ostrov nad Oslavou. As you wind through the villages, just follow the signs (the yellow diamond) indicating "main road".
TIPS:
Highway #37 is one of the major secondary roads. It is wide and well-traveled. You will past through Sazomin and Vatin.
As you enter Zd'ar nad Sazavou on its southeast side, you will pass various commercial warehouses and businesses. There are appealing sections of Zd'ar, but unfortunately they are not easy to find. This not a town for delightful strolls along picturesque streets
At the first major intersection, you will see a church with an onion-shaped dome straight ahead on Highway #37 and an Albert's supermarket diagonally across the intersection to the right. (If you need supplies, this is one of the good places to shop.) The main square for Zd'ar is straight ahead beyond the church. Highway #19 leads to Nove Mesto on your right.
TIP:
Parking on the main square is paid, if the ticket dispensing machines are working.
Nove Mesto, 10 kilometers from Zd'ar, is the smaller, more charming of the two towns. It is far easier for the first-time visitor to navigate than Zd'ar, as everything is centered around 3 main squares that flow one into the other. Parking is free. There is a good visitor information center on the middle square, the largest and most picturesque of the three, along with a small but interesting museum and dozens of small shops.
It is in Nove Mesto na Morave that you will begin to feel the warm welcome of Moravia. To experience the true Vysocina, you should book a cottage or a room in a pension in the hills or in one of the villages along route #354 as it heads north out of Nove Mesto into the Zd'ar Hills or Zd'arske Vrchy. Hedgie can help with this.
For more information:
© Copyright 2004-2005 Hedgehog Holding s.r.o.