The Natural Treasures of the Hrádek Municipal Park
The municipal park Hrádek (a hrádek being a little castle, but also an abandoned fortification) was founded in 1926 by the local club for the beautification of public spaces, under the rather grandiloquent name of "Masaryk Jubilee Orchards On the Castle Hill". Its wooded part segues into a steep rocky slope, the top of which affords a beautiful view of the town's monuments on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This south-facing slope of the Jihlava river valley is a unique showcase of the variegated plant and animal communities endemic to rocky steppe habitats. Endangered species from flora and fauna have taken refuge here, chiefly among them the chequered blue. Praying mantises and blue-winged grasshoppers can be found in robust numbers.
The educational trail is punctuated by five stations, presenting interesting content from natural science and history. The first panel on the approx. one-mile circular trail is found at the park entrance on Hrádek Street, near the former Youth Centre, and informs visitors about the history of the park, and about the discipline of dendrology. Additional panels have been placed on the edge of the southern slope along the footpath, and describe the animals and insects living in the park. The next station on the trail, near the remnants of a bastion, gives a botanical account of the place. The final panel, informing visitors about the local geology, is found near the river in Hassek's Garden, from where there is a beautiful view of the rock massif.
The educational trail "The Natural Treasures of the Hrádek Municipal Park" was built in 2017 by the local Kněžice chapter of the Czech Union For Nature Conservation, in collaboration with the town of Třebíč and under the auspices of the NET4GAS Closer to Nature programme.
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Endangered animals:
