Vyšší Brod and its surroundings
Take a tour of the Vyšší Brod Monastery and the picturesque surrounding nature. The tour of the monastery includes, among others, the monastery church, the monk's choir, the main altar, the Chapel of St. Benedict, Chapel of the Virgin Mary, a picture gallery, a library corridor. You can also visit the Postal Museum. You will spend the next part of the trip in nature. You will walk through the valley of Menší Vltavice along Opatská Trail I, which will introduce you to the history of stone masonry and lead you to the waterfalls of St. Wolfgang. You can then walk along the Abbey Trail II to the rocky sea of the Devil's wall. The legend, which inspired Bedřich Smetana to compose the opera of the same name, says that the devil wanted to destroy the newly built Vyšebrod Monastery and intended to build a dam on the Vltava River in this place and to flush the monastery away. However, he did not manage to do it within one night, at dawn his time expired and only his unfinished work remained.
Route description
By car Český Krumlov → Vyšší Brod (+33.5 km) → on foot to the Waterfalls St. Wolfgang (+3 km circuit) → on foot to the Devil's wall (+2.8 km and back) or by car to the car park at the Devil's wall (+3 km) → on foot (+300 m and back)
Points of interest
- Vyšší Brod – historical city centre: the historic town hall is the only remaining house from the middle row of the square destroyed by fire in 1597, the Church of St. Bartholomew, fountain with a statue of St. Florián, in the lower part of the square there is a medieval pillar with a statue of St. Barbora on top or a stone from Devil's streams
- Vyšší Brod Cistercian Monastery – founded by Rožmberk 1259, the tour includes, among other things, the monastery church, monk’s choir, main altar, Chapel of St. Benedict, Chapel of the Virgin Mary, a picture gallery, a library corridor. Most valuable monuments: Madonna of Vyšší Brod and the Cross of Záviš
- Postal Museum – located in part of the Vyšší Brod Monastery
- Waterfalls of St. Wolfgang – in the highest part of the waterfalls, there is a cascade that exceeds a height of about 3 metres to about 8 metres in length. After 20 metres follows the upper waterfall, which consists of two levels and several branches. Under the smaller lower waterfall you can enjoy a pleasant view from the wooden footbridge.
- Devil's wall – a rock formation above the right bank of the Vltava River offers a view of the canyon-like valley and the mighty rocky sea, the Devil's wall. It is part of the Devil’s wall and Luč National Nature Reserve, from the lookout of the so-called Devil's pulpit there is a beautiful view of the second peak of the Luč reservation. It is necessary to be careful on the rock lookout itself due to the danger of falling off the rock, the rock formation rises on a steep slope!
Route description
From Český Krumlov, drive in the direction of Větřní along road 160 and from there continue to Rožmberk nad Vltavou, then about 4 km after Rožmberk turn right onto road 163 in the direction of Vyšší Brod. Vyšší Brod Monastery is located in the centre of the village. The waterfalls of St. Wolfgang can be reached in half an hour along the Abbey Trail I, which leads along the yellow tourist sign from the Vyšší Brod Monastery. After a walk to the waterfalls in Vyšší Brod, you will join the Abbey Trail II near the monastery and walk along the red route less than 3 km to the Devil's wall. Or get in the car again, drive 3 km in the direction of Lipno nad Vltavou to the parking lot, from which the Devil's wall is only 300 metres away.
