Bory: Nature, Geology and Educational Trail

Bory: Educational Trail, Geology and Local History

In Bory, nature observation, geology and local history are distinct areas of interest. The six-kilometre-long „Poznáváme Bory“ educational trail provides a common thread: it leads from the area around Dolní Bory via the polder to Horní Bory. Along the route, you’ll find information about the landscape and quarry, as well as interactive features. The Mrázkova louka Nature Monument and St. Martin’s Church add their own natural history and historical points of interest. When planning your trip, you can make the educational trail your main focus and decide whether to include nature or cultural attractions as well.

Assess the Educational Trail by Route and Stops

The route passes through Dolní and Horní Bory and is mostly accessible with a stroller. The section between stops 16 and 17 is more challenging, so a baby carrier is recommended for small children. Keep this difference in mind when planning, rather than assuming all parts of the route are alike. As trail conditions can change, check the current situation before your outing.

The educational trail has 36 information stops in total, as well as three interactive features. At an analemmatic sundial, you can learn how it works; there is also a place to sit and a view across the landscape. The Kamenolom Horní Bory stop has information panels about the quarry’s history and the extraction of the deposit. The route thus combines explanations of local history with nature and geology topics.

The educational trail also includes the „Ucho lesa“ sound installation, a large wooden megaphone. Sounds from the forest can be channelled into it and listened to. The geopark in Horní Bory features wooden sculptures of native animals and offers insights into nature and geology. These provide a different experience from the panels at the quarry: here, sound and animal depictions take centre stage, while there the focus is on history and extraction. Individual installations may change; check for current information about the educational trail before your visit.

Rocks and Minerals at Horní Bory Quarry

Gneiss is extracted at Horní Bory Quarry, where large blocks of serpentinised peridotite are also exposed. A total of 55 mineral species have been found in the quarry. It is designated as a geotourism attraction, a geosite and an excursion site. These details make the geological focus tangible: rock extraction, exposed peridotite blocks and mineral diversity are different aspects of the site.

Mrázkova louka Nature Monument

The Mrázkova louka Nature Monument in Horní Bory protects a mosaic of wet cabbage thistle meadows, non-calcareous peat hollows with mosses, and submontane mat-grass swards. Protected plants growing there include round-leaved sundew, narrow-leaved cottongrass, marsh cinquefoil and fir clubmoss. This is a different focus from the quarry: the nature monument is about protected habitats and plants, while the quarry’s geology centres on rocks and minerals.

St. Martin’s Church and Routes in the Municipality

St. Martin’s Church in Horní Bory is a single-nave Late Romanesque church and has been protected as a monument since 1958. Its oldest surviving part dates from 1250 to 1280. As a distinctive landmark of the municipality of Bory, it adds a cultural-historical aspect to the nature and geology topics.

The municipality is crossed by red- and yellow-marked hiking trails, as well as the „Mlynářská stezka“ cycling route. These routes provide further guidance for planning; their alignments and markings may change. Check the latest route information before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Budeč, Ostrov Nad Oslavou, Radostín Nad Oslavou, Spělkov, Žďár, Dolní Rožínka, Štěpánov Nad Svratkou, Býšovec.

For the broader travel overview: Žďár nad Sázavou District.