From Žďár nad Sázavou to Nové Město na Moravě via Zelená hora: 18 km

• This is Stage 12 of the Cyril & Methodius (C&M) long distance route, from Levý Hradec to Velehrad. See here for an introduction to this superb multiday walk (there are 20 stages in total). It is one of the shortest stages on the walk, but the highlight is a visit to one of the country’s most iconic sites: the church on Zelená hora.
• The Pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk, located on the outskirts of the town Žďár nad Sázavou, is one of the most remarkable monuments in the Czech Republic. Finished in 1727, this was the last work of Bohemian architect, Jan Santini Aichel, and famously fuses elements of the Baroque and Gothic styles. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.
• The C&M stage on the official site actually begins below Zelená hora, but most walkers on this route will probably start at the Žďár train station, so this is how the map plan below has been created, with a finish also at the Nové Město train station. The route therefore begins with a short section along the the Sázava river before heading into the hills, eastwards towards Nové Město, passing Zelená hora on the way.
• The route plan shown below finishes at Nové Město train station, but with enough time it is also worth heading into the very attractive Nové Město town centre, possibly to celebrate the end of the stage with a visit to the excellent  Bistro ČTYŘKA with its extensive outside terrace area and innovative grilled food. Nové Město na Moravě lies at the southern edge of the Žďárské vrchy Protected Landscape Area and is probably best known today as a winter sports resort and a summer mountain biking centre.
• This segment of the C&M long distance route is one of the easier, with just over 200m of height to ascend and descend over its 18 km length. Nearly half the route is on asphalt paths or roads – so if looking for a more typical walk on the high trails of the Vysočina region, the next section (from Nové Město na Moravě to Bystrice nad Pernštejnem) is probably a better choice.

Note: click ‘Show on map’ above to go to a full screen version directly on the mapy.cz site. This can be used for online navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file

Directions

• From Žďár nad Sázavou train station, head up Nádražní stret to reach the center of town after 1.4 km
• In the town center, join the RED trail heading towards Žďár nad Sázavou zámek, reached after 3 km
• At the chateau, join the YELLOW trail heading towards Zelená hora and Lhotka
• In Lhotka – reached after 6 km – join the BLUE trail heading towards the Skihotel in Nové Město
• The Skihotel and sports complex is reached after 4.8 km. There join the EV4 cycle path which leads directly to the train station after 2.7 km