Vyšší Brod Monastery
Approximately 30 km south of Český Krumlov is the Vyšší Brod monastery, set in a romantic landscape just not far from the Czech border with Austria. Its foundation is associated with a legend concerning Vok of Rožmberk, who once visited Vyšší Brod to perform piety in a chapel, standing approximately on the site of the present church of St. Anny. However, the moment he waded through the Vltava, he was swept away by a current, began to drown and in difficult moments promised to build a monastery in Vyšší Brod as a thank you for saving his life. Vok of Rožmberk survived the accident and actually built the monastery.
Information for visitors
Interesting facts Vyšší Brod Monastery
It was founded in 1259, to serve the Cistercians, who still live in the monastery, taking care of its operation and reconstruction. The monastery is currently open to the public and you can see the monastery church, library, picture gallery or chapter hall and other spaces, such as the abbey building, which is currently the seat of the Postal Museum. The peculiarity is that the visitors of the monastery are accompanied by the monks themselves.
The most rare artistic artefacts of the monastery include the Záviš Cross and the Madonna of Vyšší Brod. The monastery library is also rare, and with 70,000 volumes it ranks among the third largest libraries in the Czech Republic.
Vyšší Brod Monastery is a very popular tourist destination, of course, mainly for its architectural, cultural and historical value and undoubtedly also due to its convenient location near the Lipno reservoir.