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Region of Vysočina – Advantageous Central Location

The Vysočina region has an advantageous central location not only within the Czech Republic but also in the whole of  Europe. The D1 motorway, the E59 road and the Vysočina railway corridor offer the opportunity to reach important European transport hubs and major cities quickly. The closest airport, Brno Tuřany, can be reached by car from most of the towns in the region in 1 to 2 hours, and the Prague Ruzyně International Airport can be reached in 2 hours. Vienna International Airport is 2,5 hours away.

Together with its neighbour, the region of South Moravia, this region forms the NUTS 2 area for the purpose of supporting regional development. The region is characterised by its rugged terrain, higher altitude and low population density. The region is attractive because of its relatively low levels of air pollution and relatively healthy forests. There are also bodies and sources of water that are important for water management. Vysočina’s land area of 6,800 sq. km makes it one of the larger regions – there are only four larger regions in the country. Two protected landscape areas are located in the region – Žďárské vrchy and Železné hory. The Melechov hill in the district of Havlíčkův Brod is considered by some sources to be the geographical centre of Europe. Vysočina region’s territory is administratively divided into 5 districts.

Statistical Data

Source: Czech Statistical Office

Economic Potential

Agriculture has traditionally had an important position in the Vysočina region. Despite the fact that local conditions are below the average (altitude and the sloping nature of the land decrease the land’s production capacity), the region’s territory is optimal for certain agricultural commodities and activities, especially for potato growing. The region produces approximately one third of the overall crop of potatoes in the CR. Livestock production in the Vysočina region specialises mostly in cattle and pig farming.

Industrial manufacture is mainly represented by the following fields: engineering, metal-working, textile, wood-processing and food-processing. The region’s strategic location has attracted a number of foreign investors in recent years, who base not only their production capacities but also their research and development in the region. The most important industrial enterprise in the region is Bosch Diesel, the manufacturer of diesel injection pumps. Motorpal Jihlava is another important engineering enterprise with a similar production programme to Bosch Diesel.

Automotive Lighting, the manufacturer of car-lighting equipment, started its commercial activities in Jihlava in 1997. Kostelecké uzeniny, the largest meat processor in the CR, which has over 1000 employees, is another important enterprise. The largest clothing enterprise in the region is the traditional manufacturer of underwear, Pleas Havlíčkův Brod, which is more than 100 years old. Futaba Czech, a supplier of components for the automotive industry, which only started its production operations in Havlíčkův Brod-Baštínov in 2005, is an important industrial employer in the Havlíčkův Brod district. The building of its plant on a “green field” was the Japanese group’s first investment in continental Europe. The engineering industry in the district of Pelhřimov is represented by the traditional manufacturer of agricultural equipment, Agrostroj Pelhřimov. The Pelhřimov district has a number of industrial zones. For example, the zone in Humpolec hosts Valeo Compressor Europe, a manufacturer of compressors for air-conditioning units in passenger cars. The Dukovany nuclear power plant in the district of Třebíč is an employment stabilising factor. An important foreign investment in the Třebíč district has come from MANN + HUMMEL, a manufacturer of filtration equipment for the automotive industry, based in Nová Ves u Přibyslavic. The industrial zone in Třebíč hosts TEDOM, a manufacturer of cogeneration units, buses and natural gas engines. PBS INDUSTRY is an important employer in the district of Třebíč.

In the district of Žďár nad Sázavou, the principal industrial enterprise is Žďas. The mining industry in the region is represented by state-owned DIAMO, based in Stráž pod Ralskem, which mines uranium ores in Dolní Rožínky in the district of Bystřice. There are also many important breweries in the Vysočina region, such as Bernard in Humpolec, Pivovar Jihlava and Pivovar Chotěboř. The region has almost exclusively small and medium construction companies. The only company that reaches beyond the borders of the region is the PSJ group. Other important construction firms in the region include ROSS Holding from Havlíčkův Brod, which specialises in electrical wiring, PKS INPOS from Žďár nad Sázavou, Outulný from Náměšť nad Oslavou and AGOS stavební from the Pelhřimov district.

Tourist Trade

The Vysočina region offers many fine opportunities for summer and winter stays, as well as the possibility of visiting a number of valuable historical and cultural monuments. Winter sports fans find the best snow conditions in Vysočina in the Žďárské hills where one can ski at altitudes of 700–800m. The same area also has the largest number of mass accommodation facilities. Of the many bodies of water in the region, we can mention Velké Dářko (the largest pond in Vysočina), Sykovec (at 720m, the highest sand-bottom pond in the region) and the Dalešice water reservoir on the Jihlava River, whose 100-metre tall rock-fill dam is the tallest in the Czech Republic.

There are three UNESCO monuments in the Vysočina region. They are the municipal monument reserve of Telč, the Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk on Zelená hora near Žďár nad Sázavou and the Jewish Quarter with Cemetery and Basilica of St. Procopius in Třebíč. The region’s natural wealth is composed of the protected landscape areas of Žďárské vrchy and Železné hory, the nature reserves of Mohelenská hadcová step and Velký Špičák, and a number of other nature reserves. Besides urban tourism, the future of tourism  in the region will undoubtedly rest on various forms of tranquil, environmentally-friendly stays. This is supported by a dense network of tourist trails (approx. 2,900km), the development of bicycle routes and the gradually emerging agrofarms providing accommodation.

The region also hosts interesting cultural events, some of which have nationwide or international reach. A regular meeting and competition of mixed chamber choirs – the Festival of International Choral Art – takes place in Jihlava, as well as the International Documentary Film Festival. The town of Telč is an active organiser, organising the Holidays in Telč festival and the European Meeting of Folklore Groups. The château in Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou hosts the Petr Dvorský International Music Festival. The structure of foreign visitors who came to the region in 2011 was very varied, but the majority – over 14,000—were from Germany.

Districts:

Jihlava District

The district is characterised by its below-average rate of unemployment. The reason for this is, among other things, the regional city of Jihlava. The economic development of the historical city of Jihlava, which lies on both sides of the former state line between Bohemia and Moravia, began centuries ago with the mining of silver and the drapery trade. Drapery was the region’s principal trade for three centuries, and the region was the second largest producer of cloth in the Hapsburg monarchy in the second half of the 18th century. Modeta Style, a manufacturer of sports clothing, continues the textile tradition. In recent years, engineering enterprises, such as Jihlavan (a traditional supplier of hydraulic machines, components and systems for aviation, mobile equipment and medical applications) and, after 1989, Bosch Diesel from Germany, have started to base their business in the city. Jihlava also offers tourist attractions, such as a unique monument zone, which combines Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture.

Pelhřimov District

The district is located in the western part of the Českomoravské highlands. Thanks to its natural beauty and an environment relatively unspoiled by the influence of civilisation, it is one of the country’s popular recreation spots. The district’s important towns include Pelhřimov (www.pelhrimovsko.cz) and Humpolec, which was placed first in the region in the comparative survey of the Town for Business.

Havlíčkův Brod District

The district’s economy is strongly influenced by industry and agriculture. The most important enterprises specialise in textile and clothing manufacture, glass manufacture and engineering. However, the volume of production depends on the numbers of orders. The district’s rate of employment is also positively influenced by the construction industry and the tertiary sector. Agriculture is dominated by corn and potato growing.

Žďár nad Sázavou District

The district of Žďár nad Sázavou is a popular recreational area. The area of the Žďárské hills was proclaimed a protected natural area in 1970. Of the approximately 100 main tourist attractions of international import in the Czech Republic, the district of Žďár nad Sázavou can lay claim to the Gothic-Baroque Church of St. John of Nepomuk on Zelená hora, which was included in UNESCO’s list of World Cultural Heritage Sites at the end of 1994 (one of 8 in the CR).

Třebíč District

Thanks to its picturesque, largely well-preserved and environmentally relatively unspoiled landscape, its number of natural and historical monuments (including the UNESCO-recognised area of the Jewish Quarter, Jewish Cemetery and the Basilica of St. Procopius in Třebíč),  the district of Třebíč has all the prerequisites for the development of the tourist trade, especially agrotourism and cyclotourism.

Useful Contacts:

Vysočina Regional Office, www.kr-vysocina.cz 
Jihlava Municipal Council, www.jihlava.cz 
Regional Chamber of Commerce, www.hkjihlava.cz
Vysočina Regional Development Agency, www.rrav.cz