Discover Ostrov

If you are looking for a place where landscapes, cycling, and stories worth telling come together, Ostrov offers several different ways to explore it. The surroundings are shaped by the Sázava, the Nezdínský stream, and woodland areas. There is also a natural formation with its own legend, a cycle route with various surfaces, and historical traces dating back to the Middle Ages.

Landscape and cycling around Ostrov

One specific natural feature is VKP 62 – Meze u Ostrova. This is a registered significant landscape element: a system of field margins with naturally regenerated woody vegetation. The field margins give the landscape a clearly recognisable, small-scale structure and distinguish it from a completely open agricultural area.

The natural formation “Kamenné stádo” is also located in the northern part of Ostrov’s cadastral area. The name refers to a local legend according to which a shepherd and his flock were turned to stone. According to the legend, the quartz stones associated with them are still scattered today across the pasture and along the forest edge. In addition to its visible form, the landscape therefore has a story that is particularly easy to discover and retell together.

For cycling travellers, Cycle Route No. 4156 is a clearly defined feature: it connects Ledeč nad Sázavou with Sázava u Žďáru nad Sázavou. The route runs over asphalt as well as paved and unpaved surfaces and is suitable for mountain bikes and trekking bikes. This means that the focus is not on just one type of path, but on a connection that accommodates different types of bicycles and surfaces.

History, customs, and unusual details

The first written mention of Ostrov dates from 1408. At that time, levies from Ostrov and Veliká paid to Ledeč Castle are mentioned. Another historical reference to the place is precisely dated: on 14 August 1870, the hill above Ostrov was renamed Deklarant. Both details show Ostrov from different historical perspectives – once as a documented settlement in the surroundings of a castle, and once through the naming of a hill.

More recent events are also part of the town’s traditional image. At the second Traktoriáda on 28 September 2024, the competition course included a slalom, reversing, carrying a cup filled with water, a ditch filled with water, and pulling a heavy tyre. At the eighth masquerade parade in 2025, koblihy and a warming drink were sampled before the procession through the village. These examples represent different forms of local community: in one case, a test of skill, and in the other, a shared opening with a regional food and a hot drink.

Another historical detail leads to local crafts. The “Ostrovský mlýn” mill was powered by the Nezdínský stream. In the mid-19th century, a small glass-grinding workshop was also in operation there. The water-powered mill and glass-grinding workshop thus represent two uses of the same site and give local history an unusual economic dimension.

More destinations for planning your trip

If you would like to compare Ostrov with other destinations, you can also include Maleč, Malčín, Svetlá Nad Sázavou, Květinov, Jilem, Zvěstovice, Lučice and Vlkanov in your further search.

For the higher-level travel overview: Havlíčkův Brod District.