Already on arrival at the Lipno Dam we pass Vyssi Brod and its monastery. We like the place as soon as we drive through it. The monastery of Vyšší Brod, which is located on the outskirts of the village on the banks of the Vltava, is particularly striking. So we decide to explore the place during our stay in the Landal Lipno Marina to look closer. Vyssi Brod is a town in southern Bohemia, six kilometers from Bad Leonfelden in Austria and near the Lipno reservoir. It is just ten kilometers from Lipno nad Vltavou. Klaster Vyssi Brod is the main, but not the only attraction in this place.
The town of Vyssi Brod and its history
In Celtic times there was a trade route from Bohemia to Upper Austria. This led through Vyssi Brod, a town in the Czech Republic. The Rosenberger family was initially the owner of the settlement, which arose in the 13th century. In 1259, monks founded the Hohenfurth Cistercian monastery. But during the Hussite wars, attackers destroyed the monastery and the dean's church. In 1528 Hohenfurth was made a town. The monastery exercised secular rule until 1848, and later Hohenfurth received city rights. Hohenfurth fell to Czechoslovakia after World War I. After the Second World War, the communist government expelled the German-speaking population. During the communist rule, Vyšší Brod was in the border area of the Iron Curtain. During this time, the town lost its city rights in the 1950s. After the political upheaval of 1989, the new government restored Vyšší Brod its city rights in 1994. Since then, the city has developed into a tourist center with sights and leisure opportunities.
Vyssi Brod and its monastery
The town's history is closely connected with the Vyssi Brod Monastery, which was founded in 1259 by the Bohemian Colonel Marshal Wok von Rosenberg. The monastery survived the Thirty Years' War.
Hohenfurth Monastery becomes Vyssi Brod Monastery
Vyssi Brod Monastery used to be known as Hohenfurth Monastery. It has endured hard times in its nearly 700-year history. An example was the occupation of the Sudetenland by the National Socialists as well as the takeover of power by the communists in the Czech Republic after the Second World War. During the war the monastery was used as a warehouse and a reserve hospital. After the end of the war, most of the monks were expelled. Only a small convention remained, which the communist authorities have repeatedly harassed.
The situation worsened even further when Vyssi Brod Monastery was finally closed in 1950. The monastery buildings initially served as barracks. Later it was used by border guard troops. The last abbot of Hohenfurth was the administrator of from 1949 Rein.
But there is also good news! After the political change in 1989, two Fathers were able to return to Vyssi Brod. There they strive for a renewal of the monastic life. Thanks to the support from Austria, especially from the Stift Heiligenkreuz, the monastery was able to get its library back in 1991. Visitors to the monastery today can see the Gothic church, the cloister, the chapter house, the baroque library and a number of works of art in the monastery collections.
It's nice to see how the monastery has flourished again since then. The community has been growing again since 2018, reaching a new high of ten members at the end of 2020. Twelve members are required for the official establishment of an abbey. I am excited to see what the future holds for Vyssi Brod Monastery! In any case, the monks advertise newcomers on the monastery's website.
Sights in Vyssi Brod
The monastery church
The monastery church in the Vyssi Brod cloister is worth seeing. The monastery church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was built in 1259 and built of stone between 1270 and 1280. The construction of the vault took another 100 years. Peter I von Rosenberg donated nine paintings from the life of Christ for the main altar before 1347. These are now on display in the National Gallery in Prague. The monastery church was also the burial place of the Lords of Rosenberg. It has winged altars and a main altar in the early Baroque style. The church has been rebuilt and renovated several times over the centuries.
Opening hours:
Early May to late September: Monday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 12:30 p.m. to 16:30 p.m. (Groups of 8 or more must make a reservation.)
In winter, tours of the monastery are currently only possible for groups of 8 or more people with a reservation.
Various guided tours are offered.
The Postal Museum
There is also the Postal Museum on the premises of the Vyssi Brod Monastery. In it you can follow the development of post offices from the 16th century to the present. However, the descriptions in the exhibition are only in Czech.
Opening hours:
April – October (daily except Mondays)
9.00 a.m. - 17.00 p.m.
Collect impressions in winter
Since we visit Vyssi Brod outside the opening hours of the monastery and the museum in winter, we only have to collect impressions of the monastery and its surroundings. Nevertheless, a visit is worthwhile, because the monastery is also impressive. It rises on a hill above the Vltava River and we can imagine how the monks once worked the surrounding forests and fields. You can certainly learn more about this on a guided tour of the monastery in summer.
Pension Inge with restaurant and canoe rental on the Vltava
Pension Inge is located below the Vyssi Brod monastery. This consists of two buildings: the guesthouse on the opposite side of the Nepomuk Bridge on the Vltava and the restaurant on the Vltava bank below the monastery. We parked our car there during our tour around the monastery and along the Vltava River. The water from the monastery pond flows into the Vltava below the monastery hill.
In summer it is worth staying in this pension for several days. Then you can visit the monastery and the postal museum and go canoeing on the Vltava.
Book Pension Inge here*.
Here you find other accommodations in Vyssi Brod`.
Travel Arrangements
Parking at the airport
Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.
Arrival to Vyssi Brod
Compare and book flights here*. There are airports in Linz, Vienna, Munich as well as in Prague. It is also possible to arrive by car.
Car Rentals:
Cheap Car Hire - Book Fast and Easy! *
What needs to be in the suitcase to visit Vyssi Brod?
- You need walking shoes for wide feet make a hike in the Bohemian Forest an experience.
- In a backpack For example, you can have a snack, one lunch box and transport the bits and bobs you need for a hike. However, one is sufficient to visit the monastery and museum a daypack is enough..
- Remember to bring a light jacket with you, which protects against wind and rain in summer.
- Be sure to check with our hiking checklistwhether you have packed everything you need for a hike or a canoe tour.
If you purchase via a link marked *, we receive a commission, which we use to run this blog.
Do you know this?
- Visit churches, monasteries and cathedrals
- Schlägl Abbey is located on the Austrian side in the Bohemian Forest and is also worth a visit.
- Monks from Vyssi Brod were also there Stift Lilienfeld after the dissolution of their monastery.
- Heiligenkreuz Abbey and Mayerling Castle for connoisseurs
- Cistercian Monastery Heiligenkreuz
- Time out in the monastery in Stams Abbey in Tyrol
- Český Krumlov insider tips: an exclusive guide for pleasure travelers
- Cesky Krumlov and its sights
- Cesky Krumlov Hotel – Krumlov Hotel
- Rent a holiday home or apartment at the Lipno Dam
- České Budějovice Czech Republic – Ceske Budejovice and its sights
- Hotels in České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Bohemian food
- Easter holidays
- Winter wellness in Austria
- Lutzmannsburg – travel destination for families with children
Slow Travel Destinations you can also find here.
Sources: On-site research. We definitely organized this trip ourselves. Our opinions definitely remain our own.
Text Vyssi Brod: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright by Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Video: © Copyright by Petar Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
