Hojkov: Moorland and Local History

During a stay in Hojkov, you can choose to focus on nature or local history. Hojkovské rašeliniště and Pod Mešnicí represent different protected landscapes. The original circular village layout offers a distinctive connection to the history of the place. The tour details also differ: one cycling route is a circuit through Hojkov, while the Čeřínek nature trail is 6 km long and has 14 stations.

Moorland and protected habitats

Hojkovské rašeliniště lies about 600 m south of Hojkov. It comprises a remnant of a peat bog and a marshy grove. The moor is one of the oldest peat bogs in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands and was designated a national natural monument in 1982. It is an important refuge for animals from aquatic, wetland and moorland habitats. Several amphibian species regularly occur in its pools, including the Alpine newt; the common European adder lives in the moor meadows. The 1982 designation provides a point of reference in time; amphibians and the common European adder illustrate the moor’s habitats.

Another natural area is Pod Mešnicí, about 1.3 km southwest of Hojkov. The protected area was formerly pastureland. It protects short-grass, drought-loving plant communities, including the critically endangered chamomile moonwort. The contrast between peat bog and former pastureland brings out the different landscape themes: wetland and moorland habitats here, drought-loving plant communities there.

Hojkov’s history in the village landscape

Hojkov was probably founded towards the end of the 13th century, during the colonization of the region by the Diocese of Prague. The original settlement had the form of a circular village, meaning a circular settlement layout. This structure is still recognizable along the outer line of houses No. 1–21. Thus, a probable founding period and a tangible connection to the village landscape go hand in hand: one places Hojkov in its historical period, while the other makes the original settlement layout tangible.

Cycling route and nature trail

Cycling Route 1 runs as a circuit from Cejle via Klepák, Mirošov, Boršov, Hojkov and Čeřínek, returning to Cejle. Hojkov is therefore on the named route; Cejle is both its starting point and its endpoint. The sequence of places describes the circuit and shows where Hojkov falls along it.

The Čeřínek nature trail is 6 km long, has 14 stations and can be used on foot or by bicycle. Its length, number of stations and both ways of using it are specified; for Cycling Route 1, the focus is on its circuit and sequence of places. When comparing the two types of tour, you can use these different features as a guide: the length and stations of the nature trail, or the circular route of the cycling trail.

Discover more destinations: Vyskytná Nad Jihlavou, Kněžice, Plandry, Zdeňkov, Puklice, Boršov, Rybné, Jamné.

For the broader travel overview: Okres Jihlava.