The possible form of the background for visitors to Žďár's Zelená Hora will be designed by architects

Jihlava – A possible design for the facilities for visitors to Žďár's Green Mountain should be proposed by architects. The architectural competition is being prepared by the city together with the church that administers the monument listed in the UNESCO heritage list, and the region has also promised to contribute. This is based on today’s information from the region and the Žďár city hall. The pilgrimage site, the work of architect Jan Blažej Santini Aichel, attracted around 30,000 tourists annually before the pandemic. There is a lack of social facilities, among other things.

"This state is unworthy of a UNESCO monument," said Martin Mrkos (Žďár - Live City), the mayor of Žďár, to ČTK. A new building cannot be placed in the pilgrimage area, and according to the mayor, the surrounding area would also need to be architecturally, urbanistically, and landscape-wise well-designed. "The way to achieve such a desired outcome is an architectural competition," he said. Architects should propose how such a new object, which could include a small information center, might look and where it should be located.

The Green Mountain with the Church of St. John of Nepomuk is managed by the Roman Catholic parish. The surrounding lands, where the facilities for the monument could be built, belong to the city. The mayor anticipates that the architectural competition could be organized for half a million crowns. The region has promised 100,000 crowns from its program to support cities with UNESCO monuments. The region's council recommended today that the county assembly approve the proposal. Žďár nad Sázavou is expected to contribute 300,000 crowns, and the remaining part of the competition costs should be borne by the owner of the pilgrimage site.

According to the mayor, any potential construction would still require a change to the land use plan. Opinions from monument preservationists or the Ministry of Culture would also be needed. "These are authorities that require an architectural competition to take place. This is such a significant place that anything cannot just stand there," he said.

In recent years, the parish has been carrying out extensive repairs on the Green Mountain funded by the EU. These involve the church as well as the area of the former cemetery between the church and the ambits.