*Devět skal and other famous gneiss rock formations in Žďárské vrchy: 7 km to 17 km*

Devět skal and other famous gneiss rock formations in Žďárské vrchy: 7 km to 17 km

Devět skal (Nine rocks) is the highest point in Žďárské vrchy at 836m and probably the most visited of all the scenic rock formations in the nature zone. The views from the top of this complex of rock pillars are excellent. There are, however, several other attractive rock formations in the area that are also worth visiting, mostly comprised of metamorphic gneiss rock, whose tops just about emerge from the spruce and beech forests that occupy much of the area.
Devět skal is best approached from the village of Křižánky, which is on a couple of bus routes and also has parking in the center of the village. It is a 3.5 km walk on easy paths up to the rocks. The initial section of the trail includes a nicely done nature trail, showcasing different tree species that are native to the region. The scramble to the summit of the rocks is not hard but is unprotected and should only be attempted by those comfortable with some exposure.
If wanting a longer walk than the simple ‘there and back’ 7 km walk to Devět skal, consider the 17 km circuit shown in the map below. This visits many of the best rock areas in the region. The circuit can be done in either direction but is probably nicest to finish with the walk down from Devět skal along the tree avenue, so the route shown takes the tour clockwise, starting from Křižánky.
The first rock area visited is the iconic Čtyři palice (see the first picture below), which lie slightly off the main trail but are definitely worth visiting. The route then follows part of the Milovksý nature trail which explores the important 19th century glassmaking area, including passing some nice examples of rural architecture from the period.
The trail passes Milovksý pond (normally a popular swimming spot but empty of water when last visited – January 2023) and then climbs into the higher hills again, where it is possible to take a slight diversion to visit the striking Dráteničky rock towers. From there the approach to Devět skal passes Malínská skála and then Lisovská skála.
On the descent from Devět skal back down to Křižánky there is one final set of rocks to visit – Bílá skála. The total circuit, including the small diversions to Čtyři palice and Dráteničky is 17.3 km long, with just over 400m of height to ascend/descend (excluding any rock summit climbs). It is possible to scramble to near the top of most of the rock formations, but these are unprotected, rarely marked routes and only for experienced scramblers. There are a couple of restaurants in Milovy, near the pond, for some mid trip refreshments.

Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.com’ to go to a full screen version of the route directly on the mapy.com site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file.

Directions

From the Křižánky bus stop, at the edge of the village, take the BLUE trail in the direction of Plaňkovka, which is reached in 2 km
At the Plaňkovka junction, turn onto the GREEN trail in the direction of Milovský rybník
The best way to visit the Čtyři palice rocks is to take the unmarked but obvious footpath starting next to the nature trail information board discussing the rocks – map point 3 (250m from the Plaňkovka junction). It is around 500m up the path the reach the foot of the rocks. Return back the main trail after visiting the rocks
Continue on the GREEN trail for 2.5 km to reach Milovský pond
From the pond continue on the GREEN trail for a further 1.7 km to reach the Dráteničky trail junction. If wanting to visit the Dráteničky rocks, they are 700m along the RED trail to the left. Return back to the Dráteničky junction after this diversion
From the junction take the RED trail in the direction of Devět skal, passing Malínská skála and Lisovská skála on the 4.4 km route to the Devět skal trail junction
At the Devět skal junction turn onto the YELLOW trail which leads up to the rocks in 900m
After visiting the rock area (it is a small diversion following the blue triangle marks), take the BLUE trail towards Křižánky, which is reached in 3.5 km. Watch out for the short diversion to see the Bílá skála rocks, which are 1.2 km along the trail towards Křižánky