Hohenfurth: Monastery, Culture and the Vltava

Monastery history, religious sites and the Vltava offer different reasons to visit Hohenfurth (Vyšší Brod). The Cistercian monastery was founded in 1259 by the Rožmberk family. Vyšší Brod is first mentioned in writing in the monastery’s founding charter, dated 1 June 1259. The beginnings of the town are also linked to trade along one of the oldest routes between Bohemia and the Danube region.

Monastery and Cultural History

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 guided tours. The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is included in these tours. If you are planning a visit, you can check the current tour information in advance.

The Poštovní muzeum NTM is also located within the Cistercian monastery grounds. It showcases the development of postal and telecommunications services, as well as the history of the postal system. This adds a different cultural theme to the architectural and monastic history. The Church of St. Bartholomew and its adjoining cemetery in Vyšší Brod are also 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 trail. The trail, established in 1898, has 14 stations and leads from the parish church in Vyšší Brod to Maria Rast. Its designated stations and named destination give the route its own historical and religious context.

Today, Maria Rast is part of the Opatská stezka tourist circuit. In the wooded area behind the monastery, the circuit links various features created or modified by the monastery: an artificial water channel for supplying the monastery, the waterfalls of St. Wolfgang and a hammer mill. The pilgrimage site and the monastery-related features thus represent distinct themes within the same circuit. If you are planning to walk the circuit, check the latest access information in advance.

The Vltava and the Natural Landscape

A navigable stretch of the Vltava begins in Vyšší Brod. The Čertova stěna-Luč nature reserve near Vyšší Brod offers a distinctive natural landscape. Here, the Vltava flows through a deep canyon and a natural channel filled with massive granite blocks. Typical potholes shape this stretch of the river, known as Čertovy proudy. The navigable stretch of the Vltava and the canyon in the nature reserve offer two different ways to experience the water and landscape.

Planning Your Trip

There is a convenient reference point for reaching the monastery: Vyšší Brod–klášter railway station is about a five-minute walk away. This is an approximate walking time and may help with planning if the monastery is a key part of your trip. The different attractions also offer distinct themes: the monastery and museum for architectural and cultural history, Maria Rast for pilgrimage and the Stations of the Cross, and the Vltava and nature reserve for rivers and landscapes. When planning your stay in Hohenfurth, you can consider which of these interests matters most to you.

Discover more destinations: Lachovice, Wettern, Neudorf B. Berlau, Kaplitz, Angern, Kalsching, Vyšný, Kienberg.

View the regional travel overview: Okres Český Krumlov.