Vyssi Brod Monastery

Vyssi Brod was founded in 1259 by Vok of Rozmberk and the Cistercians have been there, with interruptions, ever since - the community returned in 1990 after a long break. The abbey church is early Gothic with a Rosenberg burial chapel holding the tombs of the family that founded and endowed it. The library survived: about seventy thousand volumes in three connected halls, philosophical, theological and a smaller one, with painted ceilings and original shelving, and it is one of the best-preserved monastic libraries in the country. There is a picture gallery with medieval panels, including work of the Vyssi Brod Master, and a postal museum in the outbuildings. The Vltava runs past and the canoe route from Lipno comes through the town.

The main sights

• Three library halls - about seventy thousand volumes with painted ceilings.
• The Rosenberg burial chapel - tombs of the family that founded the abbey.
• An early Gothic church - the thirteenth-century core, still in use.
• Medieval panel paintings - including work of the Vyssi Brod Master.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Practical notes

It is a working monastery: guided tours at set times, quiet expected, and areas closed. The library is viewed from the doorway. Seasonal opening with a short winter season. Book in summer.

Nearby

Rozmberk castle is downstream; Lipno reservoir is west.

Key facts