Ždírec: Church, Art and Village History

The parish Church of St. Wenceslas is a landmark on the village square in Ždírec, surrounded by a small park. Baroque statues of saints and the church’s history offer further specific things to explore; two cycling routes also meet here. This makes it easy to plan a stay that combines local history with active days out.

St. Wenceslas and the History of the Village

The Roman Catholic parish of Ždírec is named after the martyr St. Wenceslas. A church in Ždírec has been documented in writing since the 14th century; St. Wenceslas had already become a parish church before 1367. From the second half of the 16th century until 1622, the church served Protestants. Liebzeit was the last Protestant pastor in the village. The local rectory is also part of this long history: it was destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War and restored in 1690.

After the former church burned down completely in 1890, the present Church of St. Wenceslas was built on the site between 1893 and 1898. The Neo-Gothic building was constructed to a design by master builder Josef Šupich of Havlíčkův Brod. With its single-nave layout and pentagonal chancel, the church has a clearly described architectural form. It has been protected as a cultural monument since 3 May 1958.

The current interior furnishings are of more recent date. Only a large wooden cross and four stone grave slabs remain from the original furnishings; the wooden cross survived the 1890 fire. The interior also contains an old organ and paintings depicting scenes from the life of St. Wenceslas. Near the original cross is a memorial plaque commemorating the Germans murdered at Budínka.

Baroque Statues of Saints in the Village

The Baroque sandstone group of St. John of Nepomuk dates from 1743 and is attributed to Václav Viktor Morávek. Its figures are carefully arranged: a life-size statue of the saint stands in the centre, with an angel holding a cross to its right. On the left, three putti hold a cartouche with a relief of the Madonna. The group thus offers many distinct details to pick out as you look at it.

Another Baroque depiction is the granite statue of St. Anthony of Padua. It dates from 1753 and was created by the sculptor Václav Morávek of Polná. The statue stands in the western part of Ždírec, at a road junction with turn-offs towards Střítež and Měšín. The sandstone group and granite statue therefore differ in both their materials and their design and dates.

Cycling Routes and Getting Around Ždírec

In the area near the village, the memorial Scots pine is about 600 metres from Ždírec. It grows on a well-kept grassy island in the fields, on the left-hand side of the road from Ždírec to Polná. The pine is 11 metres tall and has a trunk circumference of 235 centimetres; these measurements may change over time. Check the location locally if you plan to make a detour.

For active days, knowing your routes is useful: two cycling routes meet in Ždírec, but no marked tourist route passes through the village. Routes may change, so check the current route if you are planning a trip. Bus connections from Ždírec are listed for Jihlava, Polná, Žďár nad Sázavou and Olomouc. Check the current timetable before travelling.

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Ždírec, you can match these themes to your preferred plans for the day: church history and art on the one hand, and cycling routes as a guide to active days on the other. If you plan to use marked hiking trails, choose your routes separately. This lets you select a base that suits your own travel interests.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Dobronín, Plandry, Čížov, Kostelec, Kamenice, Urbanov, Rantířov, Vanůvek.

For the broader travel overview: Jihlava District.