Svratka (Žďár nad Sázavou District)

Svratka is a town in Žďár nad Sázavou District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,400 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The town parts of Česká Cikánka, Moravská Cikánka and Moravská Svratka are administrative parts of Svratka.

Etymology
The town was named after the Svratka river. The name of the river itself was derived from the old Czech verb sworti, which meant 'to meander'.

Geography
Svratka is located about 17 km northeast of Žďár nad Sázavou and 46 km northeast of Jihlava. It lies on the border between the Upper Svratka Highlands and Iron Mountains. The highest point is at 778 m above sea level. The Svratka River flows through the town; it formed here the historical border between Bohemia and Moravia. The town lies within the Žďárské vrchy Protected Landscape Area.

History
The first written mention of Svratka is from 1350. Important noble families took turns in ownership of Svratka: Lords of Pardubice, Poděbrady family, Berka of Dubá family, Kinsky family and Thurn und Taxis family.

The 19th century saw the development of industry, which culminated in 1867 with the promotion of Svratka to a town. There was a paper mill and a match factory.

Transport
There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights
The most valuable monument is the Church of Saint John the Baptist. It has an early Gothic core. The separate bell tower dates from around 1600.

Notable people

 * Josef Věromír Pleva (1899–1985), writer