Třebíč, view from Hrádek to the Inner Town
Třebíč, view from Hrádek to the Inner TownPhoto: Nostrifikator, 2007 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The Vysočina Region (Kraj Vysočina) is a higher self-governing territorial unit in the central part of the Czech Republic.[1] Its regional capital is Jihlava, which is also the seat of the regional authority.[2] According to the Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ), the region had 515,953 inhabitants on 31 December 2025.[9]*

Location and neighbours

The region borders the South Bohemian, Central Bohemian, Pardubice and South Moravian regions. It does not touch the state border directly, but its southern part lies close to it. For this reason Vysočina, together with the South Bohemian and South Moravian regions, takes part in cross-border cooperation with Austria.[1] Together with the South Moravian Region it forms a NUTS 2 cohesion region.[1]

View from Lipnice nad Sázavou Castle over the Vysočina landscape
View from Lipnice nad Sázavou Castle over the Vysočina landscapePhoto: Kvetinka48, 2024 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Nature

The surface is formed by the hills of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. The main European watershed and the historical land border between Bohemia and Moravia run across the region from south-west to north-east.[1] The highest point is Javořice (837 m) in the Javořice Highlands in the south of the Jihlava district. The lowest point is where the Jihlava river leaves the region in the south-east of the Třebíč district (239 m).[1] The Žďárské vrchy and the Železné hory are protected landscape areas.[1] The largest pond in Vysočina is Velké Dářko. The rock-fill dam of the Dalešice reservoir on the Jihlava is 100 m high, the highest of its kind in Czechia.[1]

Area, population and divisions

The region covers almost 6,800 km²; only four regions are larger.[1] It is divided into five districts: Havlíčkův Brod, Jihlava, Pelhřimov, Třebíč and Žďár nad Sázavou. The largest by both area and population is the Žďár nad Sázavou district.[3] The region has 15 administrative districts of municipalities with extended powers and 704 municipalities, 35 of them towns. The average municipality has 735 inhabitants, the fewest of all regions.[1] On 1 January 2025 almost 518,000 people lived in the region, the third lowest figure among the regions.[1] Its population density is the second lowest in the country.[4]

Creation and name

The region was created on 1 January 2000 under Constitutional Act No. 347/1997 Coll. of 3 December 1997 and was originally named the Jihlava Region (Jihlavský kraj) after its seat.[5] Following Constitutional Act No. 176/2001 Coll. it was renamed Vysočina; in the CZ-NUTS classification of territorial statistical units the new name applied from 10 July 2001. Since 1 August 2011, after a further amendment of the constitutional act, it has been called Kraj Vysočina.[5] The first regional assembly was elected on 12 November 2000.[6] In 2005, at the request of the municipalities, 25 municipalities with about 7,000 inhabitants moved from the Vysočina Region to the South Moravian Region.[6]

At the inaugural session on 4 November 2024 the assembly elected Martin Kukla, a member of parliament for the ANO movement, as governor (hejtman). He replaced Vítězslav Schrek (ODS).[7]

Economy and transport

More than a third of the potato harvest in Czechia comes from Vysočina. In 2024 the density of cattle per 100 ha of agricultural land was the highest of all regions.[1] The most important industries are engineering and metalworking, wood processing, food production and energy.[1] The D1 motorway crosses the region. The only university in the region is the College of Polytechnics Jihlava.[1] Since 2018 the region has ordered regular excursion trains on the line from Moravské Budějovice to Jemnice.[8]

Monuments

Three sites in the region are on the UNESCO World Heritage List: the urban heritage reserve of Telč, the pilgrimage church of St John of Nepomuk at Zelená hora near Žďár nad Sázavou, and the Jewish quarter with its cemetery and St Procopius' Basilica in Třebíč.[1] Events held in the region include the Autumn Book Fair in Havlíčkův Brod and the International Documentary Film Festival in Jihlava; Nové Město na Moravě hosts international sports competitions.[1]

Pages linking here

Sources

  1. Český statistický úřad, Krajská správa v Jihlavě
  2. Kraj Vysočina — 31 August 2026
  3. Český statistický úřad, Krajská správa v Jihlavě
  4. Český statistický úřad, Krajská správa v Jihlavě
  5. Český statistický úřad (Statistika&My 10/2011) — 1 October 2011
  6. Český statistický úřad (Statistika&My)
  7. ČTK / České noviny — 4 November 2024
  8. ČTK / České noviny — 26 September 2026
  9. Český statistický úřad