Zlatá Koruna Monastery

Wouldn’t you like to wave a magic wand and be transported back to medieval times? If so, then on a tour of South Bohemia don’t miss a chance to visit to the Cistercian monastery at Zlatá Koruna. One of the most prized gothic complexes in central Europe lies in the enchanting valley of the Vltava River near Český Krumlov and has preserved its original atmosphere. The complex bore witness to the life of the nuns hundreds of years ago.

As legend would have it, the convent was built by Czech King Přemysl Otakar II in the 12th century to give thanks for his victory at the Battle of Kressenbrunn. Today you can admire the unique Gothic Chapel of the Guardian Angel, take a stroll through the ancient spaces of the convent with its exquisite cloisters, and enjoy a moment of meditation in the immense Church of the Ascension, the largest church in the whole of South Bohemia. But the convent has more. One of the tours looks at the everyday life of nuns in the 18th century. A true gem is the concert piano made by the renowned Berlin company, Carl Bechstein, the only one of its kind in the world originally commissioned by the Tsar’s palace in St Petersburg.