Sázava: Monastic Culture and Glassmaking Tradition

If you are looking for a hotel in Sázava, you can shape your stay around the interests that come together here: monastic history and sacred art, glassmaking traditions, and exploring the Sázava River. The town offers a range of cultural sites and routes. When planning your trip, consider whether you would like to spend more time at the monastery, exploring other traces of the town’s history, or on canoeing and hiking routes. The following themes can help you plan your visits to suit your interests.

Sázava Monastery: Tours and Garden

Sázava Monastery is a national cultural monument. On the “Svatoprokopská Sázava” tour, the route takes you to the chapter house, the cloister with wall paintings that are being restored, and the refectory. The northern monastery garden offers a different focus: it is freely accessible and contains the foundations of the Church of St. Cross, dating from 1070.

If you would like to learn about the pilgrimage site of St. Procopius within the monastery complex, you can choose the “Český patron svatý Prokop” tour. It includes the Gallery of St. Procopius, where items from the monastery treasury are displayed. These include a cup and spoon that supposedly belonged to St. Procopius. The tour ends with a descent into a restored crypt containing the mortal remains of St. Procopius. The two tours therefore have different focuses: one takes you through the monastery’s rooms, while the other explores the pilgrimage site, the monastery treasury, and the crypt.

Glassmaking Traditions and Other Cultural Sites

Huť František is the oldest glassworks in Sázava. It was designated an immovable cultural monument because it is one of the few glassworks preserved in its original condition. The Jiří Voskovec Memorial Hall covers another part of the town’s history: it documents the history of the Voskovec family, his student years, the celebrated era of Osvobozené divadlo, and his time in the United States.

Another sight is the Vosovka spring in the Lázně area. A Baroque chalice can be seen there, around which legends about St. Procopius and the devil have grown. The U Martina cultural complex is housed in a secularized church rebuilt in the Baroque style. The church has been used for cultural events such as concerts, author readings, and exhibitions. During reconstruction from April 2026 to July 2027, regular events are suspended; a return is planned for 2028.

Sázava by the River: Canoeing and Hiking

The Sázava River flows through the town; about 208 kilometers of the river are navigable. The section from Český Šternberk to Sázava is 21 kilometers long and is suitable for canoeing trips. The two figures answer different planning questions: the first describes the river’s approximate navigable length, while the second refers to a specific route. Conditions at individual weirs can vary; check local water conditions before setting out.

Sázava is also on the Posázavská stezka. This marked hiking trail runs from the confluence of the Sázava and Vltava rivers, via Pikovice and Čerčany, along the Sázava to the river’s source near Žďár nad Sázavou. The route described therefore extends well beyond individual sections on the outskirts of town. If you would like to combine your stay with a hike, you can consider it a long-distance trail and choose a specific section separately for your plans.

Getting There by Train

Sázava is on railway line 212. The Sázava zastávka stop and Sázava–Černé Budy station are each about one kilometer from Sázava Monastery. If you plan to travel by train, check the timetables separately. The approximate distance refers to the monastery; it is not a travel time.

Discover more destinations: Loket U Dolních Kralovic, Tichonice, Krcmy, Hulice, Radošovice, Litichovice, Dunice, Čtyřkoly.

See the broader travel overview: Benešov District.