Vyšší Brod, known in German as Hohenfurth, was first mentioned in writing on June 1, 1259, in the founding charter of the Cistercian monastery. This gives you several distinct themes to consider when planning your trip: the monastery’s history, the Stations of the Cross leading to Maria Rast, and the landscape along the Vltava.
Monastery History and Sightseeing Routes
The Cistercian monastery was founded in 1259 by the Rožmberk family. The year therefore appears in two different contexts: it marks both the first written mention of Vyšší Brod and the founding of the monastery. Hohenfurth’s beginnings are also linked to trade along one of the oldest routes connecting Bohemia with the Danube region.
The monastery complex includes a medieval fortified site with the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The monastery is a national cultural monument of the Czech Republic and offers several sightseeing routes, including one through the monastery church. Architectural history and a visit to the church building are thus at the heart of one of Hohenfurth’s cultural themes. Vyšší Brod–klášter railway station is about a five-minute walk from the monastery.
The NTM Postal Museum is also located within the Cistercian monastery grounds. Its themes include the development of postal and telecommunications services and the history of postal transport. Another group of heritage sites comprises St. Bartholomew’s Church and its adjoining cemetery in Vyšší Brod: both are cultural monuments.
Maria Rast and the Stations of the Cross
Maria Rast is a Marian pilgrimage site with a group of buildings and a Stations of the Cross route. The route leads from the parish church in Vyšší Brod to Maria Rast, has 14 stations and was established in 1898. The pilgrimage site and route can therefore be considered as a connected theme, without conflating the individual stations with the monastery buildings.
Today, Maria Rast is also part of the newly established Opatská stezka tourist circuit. The circuit connects various sites in the wooded area behind the monastery that were created or modified by the monastery. These include an artificial water channel supplying the monastery, the St. Wolfgang waterfalls and a hammer mill. Visitors interested in the monastery’s historical connection with its surroundings will find a different focus here than on the sightseeing routes within the monastery complex.
The Vltava and the Landscape
A navigable stretch of the Vltava begins in Vyšší Brod. The Čertova stěna-Luč nature reserve, with its deep river canyon, is also nearby. There, the Vltava flows through a natural channel filled with massive granite boulders; characteristic potholes shape this stretch, known as Čertovy proudy. This adds distinct river and landscape themes to the monastery, museum and pilgrimage site.
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Discover more destinations: Lachovice, Friedberg, Bessenitz, Mirkowitz, Polletitz, Krumau, Angern, Vyšný.
Go to the broader travel overview: Okres Český Krumlov.
