Žďár nad Sázavou (ˈʒɟaːr ˈnat saːzavou̯; ) is a city in the Vysočina Region

Vysocina Region

Vysočina Region , is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located partly in the south-eastern part of the historical region of Bohemia and partly in the south-west of the historical region of Moravia...

 of the Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

. It has approximately 24,000 inhabitants and is the administrative capital of the Žďár nad Sázavou District

Ždár nad Sázavou District

Žďár nad Sázavou District is a district within the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is Žďár nad Sázavou, a town of 24,000 inhabitants built on the river Sázava...

. The city is a prominent centre of tourism, as a ski resort

Ski resort

A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...

 in winter and a popular destination for cycling

Cycling

Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...

 and bathing

Bathing

Bathing is the washing or cleansing of the body in a fluid, usually water or an aqueous solution. It may be practised for personal hygiene, religious ritual or therapeutic purposes or as a recreational activity....

 in the summer. It is also situated on a major rail link between Prague

Prague

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...

 and Brno

Brno

Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...

.

Žďár nad Sázavou gained prominence after World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 when the communist government decided to build steel works in the city, called ZDAS. Within less than twenty years the population of the city grew fivefold, from about 3,000 in 1950 to 15,000 in 1969, and the number of inhabitants continued to grow until the 1980s. With the fall of the communist regime in 1989 the significance of heavy industry started to fall; however, ZDAS continues production today.

Villages Mělkovice, Radonín, Stržanov and Veselíčko are administrative parts of Žďár nad Sázavou. The Pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk

Pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk

The Pilgrimage Church of St John of Nepomuk at Zelená Hora is a religious building in Žďár nad Sázavou, Czechia, near the border between Bohemia and Moravia...

, one of the World Heritage Site

World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...

s, is situated there.