Jihlava is the capital of Wysoczyna and a former mining town. To this day, medieval buildings concentrated near the market square and a labyrinth of underground corridors that belong to the largest in the Czech Republic have survived.
The city was founded in the 13th century and was next to Kutna Hora one of the most important Czech silver mining centers. From the fourteenth century, cloth making began to develop here, and during the industrial revolution the first textile factories were established.
The center of Jihlava has retained its shape from the time of the location. Many tenements with Baroque and Classicist facades have medieval cellars and nice arcades. There is also a baroque church of St. Ignacy, and in the middle of the square stands the Marian column.
The big attraction of Jihlava are the extended undergrounds located under the Old Town. The total length of corridors is 25 km and is one of the longest in the Czech Republic. A large part of the sidewalks is open to the public, some are even at a depth of 18 m. A curiosity is the corridor, in whose walls there are particles of elements that glow in the dark.
Jihlava was largely inhabited by Jews in the past. The local synagogue was burnt down, and now there is a park in its place. He was named after Gustav Mahler, a Jewish composer who lived in Jihlava. At the cemetery, you can see the graves of his family, and in the house that belonged to the family there is a music museum.
One of the city's most important tourist attractions, the Jihlava Zoo, is located in the forest park on the Jihlávka River. It specializes in breeding predators of the cat family and monkeys.
