Mastník – Cycling Route, Observation Tower and Local History

Mastník combines a concise local history with concrete opportunities for cyclists, hikers, and anyone who would like to combine a viewpoint with cultural discoveries.

Cycling, Trails and Pekelný kopec

Hiking trails and cycling paths run through Mastník. A section of the Jihlava–Třebíč–Raabs cycling route passes through the village, providing a direct connection to a longer cycling route. For a cycling trip from Třebíč, cycling route 5212 also leads to the edge of Mastník. With a shortened route, the journey then continues directly to the observation tower on Pekelný kopec. The connection running through the village and route 5212 leading to the edge of the village are therefore clearly distinct; with the shortened option, the route then leads to the observation tower.

At 572 metres, Pekelný kopec is the highest point in Mastník. A 26.5-metre-high observation tower stands on it. The viewing platform is reached by 125 steps. Those who choose accommodation in Mastník can therefore regard their stay either as a starting point for a cycling trip or as a destination centred around the observation tower, without equating the two types of visit.

Mastník also has a public sports ground for recreational use. This local place to spend time complements the trails and observation tower with another opportunity to spend time directly in the village.

Jan Zahradníček and the Cultural Traces

A special connection to literature is represented by the bust of Jan Zahradníček. It is located on the façade of the house at Mastník 20 and identifies Mastník as the birthplace of the poet Jan Zahradníček (1905–1960). Its specific location on the house façade makes the memorial to the poet identifiable in the village streetscape and distinguishes it from a purely historical mention of his name.

Another visible cultural monument is a Baroque chapel of the Virgin Mary dating from 1766. Together with the bust, it forms a cultural focal point that can be easily combined with an exploration of the local history. For visitors interested in the region’s past, Mastník therefore offers not only individual dates but also tangible places in today’s village landscape.

From the First Mention to Industrial Heritage

Mastník was first mentioned in a document in 1407. In 1468, the village was burned down during the wars between the Bohemian King George of Poděbrady and the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus. Towards the end of the 15th century, Mastník became part of the Sádek estate. This sequence describes the village’s development in the context of medieval rule and warfare without reducing today’s village to a single historical event.

The more recent past also left its own mark: graphite was mined in Mastník from 1913 to 1921. Mining was discontinued because of the deposit’s low yield. As early as 1870, the Okříšky–Znojmo railway line had been built through the cadastral territory of Mastník. The local history therefore encompasses mining and the railway, alongside the chapel and the poet’s bust, as distinct historical themes.

Compare More Destinations

If you would like to include destination pages beyond Mastník in your research, you can find the direct links here: Breznik, Náměšť Nad Oslavou, Zašovice, Ocmanice, Rudíkov, Slavikovice, Naloučany, Benetice.

Back to the overarching travel overview: Třebíč District.