Sculptures by Michal Olšiak

Michal Olšiak’s sculptures are among the most popular day-trip destinations in the Vysočina region, particularly for families with children. Michal Olšiak, a local native, painter and sculptor, has created a number of monumental sculptures in the countryside around Žďár nad Sázavou and Nové Město na Moravě. Several of them are also situated near the OREA Resort Devět Skal in Milovy. Before you set off, don’t forget to pack a snack at breakfast. At OREA, you can put together your own snack to suit your taste and pack it into the bags provided.

Who is Michal Olšiak?

Michal Olšiak was born in 1978 in Žďár nad Sázavou and works as both a painter and a sculptor. As well as monumental sculptures in concrete and stone, he also creates sculptures from sand and has taken part in international sand sculpture competitions. His works can now be found not only in the Vysočina region, but also in other parts of the Czech Republic, Germany and Italy.

The first of Olšiak’s sculptures to appear in the vicinity of Žďár nad Sázavou is *Mamlas*, which has stood at the viewpoint behind Starý Dvůr since 2005. Gradually, other figures and animals were added, set directly into the landscape, such as Hamroň, Mamut, Kůň and Hraniční kámen featuring the Czech lion and the Moravian eagle. It is precisely this integration of large-scale concrete sculptures with the surrounding landscape that has become a defining feature of Olšiak’s work in the Žďár region.

A Tour of Michal Olšiak’s Sculptures

Some of Olšiak’s sculptures are now linked by the ‘A Journey through the Sculptures of Michal Olšiak’ tourist game, created by Koruna Vysočiny in 2020. It comprises 20 stops featuring sculptures, where you can collect stamps on your game card at designated contact points. Collect at least 15 stamps to receive a small souvenir, and you can visit the individual stops gradually over the course of several trips.

Where can you find the nearest Michal Olšiak sculptures?

You don’t have to travel far from OREA Resort Devět Skal to find the nearest Olšiak sculptures. Approximately 11 km from OREA Resort Devět Skal, in Fryšava beneath Žákova hora, stand a pair of large concrete mushrooms with human faces. You’ll find the mushrooms near the Fryšava Guesthouse, and they’re one of the 20 stops on the ‘Journey through the Sculptures of Michal Olšiak’ trail. There are also places to grab a bite to eat and a children’s playground in the vicinity.

Another group of Olšiak’s works can be found in Tři Studně. On the grounds of the Hotel Horník stands a roughly three-metre-tall Káně with outstretched wings. Just a short distance from the Káně, by the Zátiší Guesthouse in Tři Studně, stands Hejkal Pepíno. Both sculptures form part of the ‘Journey through the Sculptures of Michal Olšiak’.

In the vicinity of Tři Studně, between the Sykovec and Medlov ponds, you will find further works by Olšiak. In the Yukon holiday cottage settlement stands a concrete ‘Owl’, and nearby there is also the ‘Little Man by the Fire’, although these are not part of the current ‘Journey through the Sculptures of Michal Olšiak’.