Zlín woodland cemetery

Zlín woodland cemetery is one of the most unusual burial grounds in the Czech Republic – a functionalist necropolis set inside a forest, where graves do not follow the usual grid layout and forest paths are the only way to move between them. The site ties together the industrial rise of Zlín, the bold interwar architecture the town is famous for, and an active municipal cemetery still in use today.

How did a cemetery inside a forest come about?

The idea originated with Tomáš Baťa, mayor of Zlín and founder of the city's famous shoe manufacturing company, who submitted a proposal to the town council on 20 June 1930. The District Office in Uherské Hradiště approved the plan the following year, and the cemetery was formally consecrated in 1932 by Jan Hejčl. Baťa drew inspiration from woodland cemeteries he had seen in the United States, as well as from an earlier Czech example: the forest cemetery in Bor near Česká Lípa, established in 1909.

Who designed the cemetery?

The design came from František Lýdie Gahura, one of the leading architects of interwar Zlín, closely tied to the functionalist reshaping of the town financed by the Baťa company. Gahura laid out the cemetery to preserve the forest's natural character as much as possible: rather than arranging graves in the standard geometric rows found in most municipal cemeteries, he placed them among the trees, accessible only via forest footpaths. The result feels closer to walking through a park than visiting a conventional graveyard.

Where is the cemetery located and how large is it?

Zlín woodland cemetery lies roughly 3 kilometers south of Zlín Castle, on Filmová Street, in the forest stretching between the U Majáku and Kudlov neighborhoods. It covers 20 hectares, making it one of the larger burial grounds in the region — a footprint large enough to keep the existing tree cover intact while accommodating thousands of grave sites.

What changed at the cemetery after the site was established?

The first major change since the cemetery's opening came with the construction of a funeral hall and crematorium, built between 1967 and 1978 by architect Jiří Čančík, together with an administration building at the entrance. Despite this later addition, the functional extension did not disrupt Gahura's original concept — the forested core of the cemetery has kept its character intact.

Is it worth visiting Zlín woodland cemetery as a tourist?

Beyond family visits to graves, the cemetery draws visitors interested in functionalist architecture and the history of Zlín as the "Baťa town." The quiet forest setting, the absence of a conventional cemetery grid, and Gahura's distinctive design make it a somewhat unexpected stop on a tour of Zlín's interwar architecture, alongside the town's other functionalist landmarks.

Frequently asked questions

When was Zlín woodland cemetery founded? It was established in 1932, following a proposal Tomáš Baťa first submitted in 1930.

Who designed it? The project was designed by architect František Lýdie Gahura.

How big is the cemetery? It covers 20 hectares of forest between the U Majáku and Kudlov neighborhoods.

Does the cemetery have a crematorium? Yes, a funeral hall with a crematorium was added between 1967 and 1978, designed by Jiří Čančík.