Křtiny Arboretum: 800 Species of Trees and Shrubs between Křtiny and Jedovnice

Křtiny Arboretum is the largest university arboretum in the Czech Republic. Across 23 hectares between Křtiny and Jedovnice, it is home to around 800 species of trees and shrubs from all over the world. It was founded in 1928 by Professor August Bayer of what is now Mendel University. In the 2026 season it is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 5 pm until 1 November, and also on 28 October. Adults pay 150 Kč (approx. €6) — an indicative conversion, as the exchange rate fluctuates — while children under 10 get in free. Allow at least an hour for a walk round. Dogs are welcome on a lead. The Open Day takes place on 17 October 2026.

QUICK LINKS 🌳 What grows here · 🥇 The ten champions · 🕰️ History · 🎟️ Opening times and admission · 🚗 Getting there · ❓ FAQ

The arboretum lies beside the road from Křtiny to Jedovnice, not far from cycle route 5077. Most people drive straight past without realising that behind the wooden fence there are giant sequoias, Chilean monkey puzzle trees and Japanese cryptomerias. Unlike the caves, there is nothing to book in advance here, and even at weekends it rarely gets crowded.

What grows here

The arboretum is laid out by geography, so you can walk “around the world” in a single visit. There are sections devoted to the trees and shrubs of Asia, Japan, China, the Far East, both coasts of North America, South America and the Mediterranean. On top of that, there is a pond, a peat bog, heathland and a birch grove.

Highlights not to be missed:

• The beech primeval forest. Some of the trees here are left to grow without any intervention. According to the arboretum’s managers, it is the only arboretum in the Czech Republic where you can see an example of original forest untouched by human hands.
• The araucarite, a petrified tree trunk around 140 million years old.
• Giant conifers from western North America, including redwoods and giant sequoias.
• The log cabin in the north-western part, moved here in 1965.

The arboretum sits at an altitude of 450 to 520 m on sandstone. Damp air flows through the valley from north to south, and frost tends to linger there.

The ten champions

The arboretum has picked out ten trees, which are linked by the roughly 2 km Arboretum Champions trail. Here are a few of them:

• The Japanese katsura tree has leaves that smell like freshly baked buns in autumn.
• The Virginian witch hazel can fire its seeds up to 10 metres.
• The Japanese umbrella pine survived frost, two uprootings, being pulled upright by a tractor and having its crown cut off. It is regarded as the rarest tree in the arboretum.
• The Japanese cryptomerias were a gift to the forestry enterprise from Japanese colleagues in 1929. Around 200 now grow on its land, the most anywhere in the Czech Republic.
• The southern beech comes from Tierra del Fuego and has its native home furthest away of all the trees here.
• The Douglas fir is the most massive tree in the arboretum.

Autumn is a good time to visit. Besides the sweet-smelling katsura, the deciduous trees from America and Asia turn colour.

History

The arboretum was founded in 1928–1929 by Professor August Bayer, founder of the Dendrological Institute at the University of Agriculture in Brno, today’s Mendel University. The first trees and shrubs came from the garden of the Dendrological Society in Průhonice, with more brought back by Bayer from his travels around Europe. The pond dates back to 1926, when the road from Jedovnice to Křtiny was straightened and the excavated soil was used to build the dam.

For a long time the arboretum was unfenced, and people took away ornamental branches. That is why a fence began to go up in the 1950s. For many years it was open only in exceptional cases and by appointment, and did not open to the public until after 1995. Today it is looked after by the Masaryk Forest Křtiny School Forest Enterprise. Just a few dozen metres from the arboretum lies the Bayerova nature reserve, with the Bayer Memorial.

Opening times and admission

2026 season: every Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm until 1 November, and also open on the public holiday of 28 October. Last entry is one hour before closing. The start of the 2027 season will be announced on the arboretum’s website; it is usually in spring.

Open Day: 17 October 2026, 9 am to 5 pm.

• You can also pay by card. At the entrance they sell light refreshments and a printed guide for 50 Kč.
• Dogs are welcome on a lead.
• Groups can book a guided tour, even outside opening hours, at least a month in advance: arboretum@slpkrtiny.cz, tel. 702 133 347, arboretum-krtiny.cz.

Getting there and what to combine it with

• By car: the address is Křtiny 68, beside the road from Křtiny to Jedovnice.
• By bike: cycle route 5077 from Adamov to Jedovnice runs past the arboretum. It forms part of day three of the three-day cycling tour of the Moravian Karst.
• Křtiny: the pilgrimage church and château; see Křtiny and the Křtiny Valley.
• Jedovnice: Olšovec pond and the Rudice Sink (Rudické propadání); see Jedovnice.

For where to eat along the way, see my article Where to eat in the Moravian Karst. More places that are good for autumn can be found in the article The Moravian Karst in autumn.

FAQ

When is Křtiny Arboretum open? In season, on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 5 pm. In 2026 it is open until 1 November, and also on 28 October.

How much does it cost to get into Křtiny Arboretum? Adults 150 Kč, children aged 10 and over and seniors 80 Kč, children under 10 free, family ticket 330 Kč.

Can I bring my dog to the arboretum? Yes, on a lead.

How long does a visit to the arboretum take? The arboretum recommends at least an hour. The Arboretum Champions trail is about 2 km long.

Information verified as of 13 October 2026. Sources: Křtiny Arboretum: opening times and admission, History, Arboretum Champions, Journey around the world; ŠLP Křtiny: Arboretums; Wikipedia: Arboretum Křtiny.

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