Jámy: History and Trails at Vejdoch

Jámy can be explored through two themes: the village’s long history and the Cesta života leading up to Vejdoch. At the summit, a sandstone sculpture and sweeping views take center stage; in the village, a church, a memorial tree and a cross recall different facets of local history. This gives you various starting points for planning your trip—from the trail and its stops to the historic sites.

The Cesta života and the summit of Vejdoch

The Cesta života begins on the edge of Jámy and leads to the summit of Vejdoch, which lies at an elevation of 663 metres. The trail has ten stops, each defined not only by its place along the route but also by its own design: at each stop stands a large stone bearing a depiction of a principle of life. A QR code links to an audio recording of a verse.

The starting point and destination provide clear guidance for planning: the trail begins on the edge of Jámy and leads up to the summit. Along the way, you’ll encounter the ten stops, with their stones and verses. You can therefore explore the Cesta života both as a route to Vejdoch and through its individual stops; the QR codes complement the depictions with audio recordings.

At the summit, between two lime trees, stands a three-metre-high sandstone sculpture of a cross. It is called “Strom života” (Tree of Life). When visibility is good, you can see 42 municipalities, 13 church towers, two observation towers and eight transmitter masts from Vejdoch. The view depends on conditions and takes in many different landmarks.

The idea behind the site also has its own history: it originated in December 2017 and envisaged an observation point on Vejdoch and a cross between the lime trees that had been planted to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia. The cross was intended as an expression of gratitude for the past 100 years. This concept should be distinguished from the description of the sculpture standing at the summit today: the idea refers to a design from that time, while “Strom života” is the name of the sandstone sculpture at the summit.

Local history and memorial sites

The first written mention of the settlement of Jámy dates from 1252. At that time, Boček and Sibyla handed it over to the newly founded Žďár Monastery. Another historical reference is the year 1470: according to the urbarium, Jámy was the monastic settlement with the largest area of fertile land. By then, it already comprised 31 mostly large farms. The two dates mark different aspects of the village’s history: its first written mention and a later description of the settlement.

The first records of the church in Jámy, dedicated to Saint Martin, date from 1672. It was founded by the monastic authorities. The church is another point of interest if you want to explore the village’s historical traces.

In the cadastral area of Jámy, the lime tree na Kříbu was designated a memorial tree on 21 September 1995. It is considered an old, well-preserved tree of local historical significance and an important feature of the landscape. Its importance is therefore tied both to the history of the village and to its landscape.

Another memorial is the iron cross on the road to Žďár nad Sázavou. The municipality of Jámy counts it among the most beautiful crosses in the municipality. This is explicitly the municipality’s own assessment and identifies the cross as a local memorial site.

Plan your journey

Jámy has direct bus connections to Žďár nad Sázavou, Mirošov and Dolní Rožínka. If you’re planning a bus journey, check the timetable before you travel. You can then decide whether to focus on the Cesta života and the view from Vejdoch, or on Jámy’s historic memorial sites.

Discover more destinations: Zvole, Rudolec, Znětínek, Ujčov, Tasov, Moravecké Pavlovice, Světnov, Milasín.

For the wider travel overview: Žďár nad Sázavou District.