Jihlava Vacations, Jihlava Vacation Reviews, Tourism Guide

In the middle of a wide hilly region, rich on forests and lakes, known as Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, lies an ancient town called Jihlava, the oldest of among Bohemian mining towns (550 meters above sea level, 88 sq. km, 50,000 inhabitants).

Towards the end of the 12th century, according to historic sources, a Slavic settlement dominated by St. John-the-Baptist church was founded on the hills over the Jihlava River. The village was to become a starting point for the colonizers of the region. Their colonizing endeavors picked up extraordinary speed at the break of the 13th century, as silver lodes were found underground. The ensuing silver fever brought miners, tradesmen, and merchants from all over Europe. The small village could no longer accommodate so many settlers or their needs, so a new town was founded on the opposite river shore.

The town suffered a major devastation under Swedish occupation during the Thirty Years\' War. The peripheries were burned down, most burgher houses demolished, and the number of inhabitants shrank to a mere one-eighth of the original population. It took Jihlava over 100 years to repair the damages and reach a new phase of material and cultural wealth.

The town is a municipal reserve of its own right - Jihlava\\\'s unique juxtaposition of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture is bound to be a genuine treat to every fan of monumental art and ancient history.