Světnov is located in the Žďárské vrchy Protected Landscape Area. In the Světnov Valley, protected spring snowflakes cover the banks in spring. The nature monument protects important meadow communities and meandering watercourses with numerous protected plant and animal species; it also includes a meandering stream and its floodplain.
History and Culture
The first written mention of Světnov dates from 1366. The settlement was founded before 1293 through the colonization activities of the Žďár Monastery. Prokop Paeonius, who was born in Světnov in 1581 and is known as a poet, writer, and professor at the medical faculty of Charles University, forms a special link to the history of intellectual life.
The history of the settlement includes several distinctive small monuments. In 1854, a chapel replaced Světnov’s old wooden bell tower. In the northern part stands a stone cross from 1848, while in the southern part, by the old road, there is a wayside shrine from 1719. After the First World War, two monuments to the fallen were erected in Světnov.
The road bridge over the Stržský stream in Světnov is a cultural monument. The stone bridge was built in 1847 to replace an older wooden bridge. In the forests of the Světnov Valley, the Křížový kámen stands beside an old road, a sandstone bearing an engraved cross with trefoil-shaped ends. It probably commemorates the death of a Russian officer when troops were returning through the Bohemian lands after the Napoleonic Wars.
Nature and Trails
A hike into the Světnov Valley follows a forest path along the Sklenský stream into the valley. The cycling tour from Žďár Castle leads to the Světnovské údolí Nature Reserve. The best time to visit the valley is around the end of March and the beginning of April, when the spring snowflakes are in fullest bloom.
Transport
Světnov is served by public bus transport within the integrated transport system operated by ZDAR, a.s., and ARRIVA VÝCHODNÍ ČECHY a.s.
Other Places
For further exploration: Dobra Voda, Karlov, Radňovice, Březské, Zvole, Jabloňov, Rovečné, Netín.
