Brtnice brings together architectural and cultural history with opportunities to explore on foot. A Baroque stone bridge, castle rooms with stucco and paintings, and sacred art each offer a different perspective; the Brtnická stezka connects natural beauty with historic landmarks. When planning your trip, you can focus on individual cultural sites or also include a hiking route. The right combination also depends on whether you plan to take the circular route through Brtnice or a longer marked section.

Bridge and castle: notable landmarks

The Židovský (Dolní) Bridge in Brtnice is a Baroque stone bridge. It is adorned with six art-historically valuable statues of saints by local sculptor D. Lipart. From the Židovský Bridge, the view looks towards the castle; this vista is sometimes called “Brtnické Hradčany.” Brtnice Castle is one of the significant aristocratic residences in Moravia. One specific example of its interior is the so-called Sál vjezdů: stucco decoration from the 1730s accompanies a valuable, unique cycle of eleven hanging paintings by the painter Töpper. At the bridge, the statues of saints take centre stage, while in the Sál vjezdů it is the interplay of stucco and paintings. These are two different forms of artistic expression.

Churches, monastery and museum

Individual furnishings and historic artefacts also provide distinctive points of interest. In the parish church of sv. Jakuba Většího, there is an elaborately decorated Renaissance copper baptismal font shaped like an apple on a branch. The oldest surviving tombstone in the Jewish cemetery dates from 1672. These are different points of reference: the distinctive design of a church object in one case, and a precisely dated tombstone in the other. The Paulánský klášter was built between 1639 and 1644 and is accessible only from the outside. Plan to view it from outside.

Different access arrangements apply to the church of blahoslavené Juliány Collalto and its tower: they are accessible during events and services, and by prior arrangement with the parish office. As access arrangements may change, contact the parish office in advance to arrange a visit. Seasonal exhibitions are held each year at the Muzeum Josefa Hoffmanna; specific exhibition titles and dates may change. If a particular exhibition is a key reason for your trip, check its dates in advance.

Explore on foot along the Brtnická stezka

The Brtnická stezka connects the exploration of natural beauty with historic landmarks and links to a system of cycling routes and walking trails. The circular route through Brtnice on the Brtnická stezka is 2,700 metres long. This should be distinguished from the section from the Rokštejn ruins to Brtnice: it can be walked along a blue-marked hiking trail and is about 7.5 kilometres long. This gives you two different options for planning: a circular route through the town, and a longer section starting at the Rokštejn ruins and ending in Brtnice. Keep the two route distances separate when planning your days. If you also want to include cycling routes in your trip plans, the Brtnická stezka’s connection to the trail network is another useful point of reference.

Discover more destinations: Klatovec, Nevcehle, Vanůvek, Vanov, Kostelec, Strachoňovice, Velký Beranov, Boršov

For the broader travel overview: Okres Jihlava.