Zlatá Koruna Monastery

Zlatá Koruna Monastery is located about 8 km from Český Krumlov and 38 km from the Dvorce accommodation. Zlatá Koruna is home to a significant former medieval monastery of the same name, which also gave the village its name.

The monastery is the dominant feature of the village of Zlatá Koruna, which is accessible from the main road between České Budějovice and Český Krumlov. Parking for cars and buses is located about 300 meters from the monastery on the right bank of the Vltava River. The monastery is also accessible by bus and train. Zlatá Koruna is best known among kayakers and canoeists, who can stay at local campsites. Hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails also pass through the village.

The legend of Zlatá Koruna’s founding states that in 1260, when Czech King Přemysl Otakar II was about to fight an important battle at Kressenbrunn (today Groißenbrunn in Lower Austria) against Hungarian King Béla IV, he prayed to God to grant him victory in this battle. In return, he promised to lead a better life and, among other things, made a solemn vow to build a new monastery in honor of God and the Virgin Mary.

Přemysl Otakar did indeed win the battle and kept his promise. As early as 1263, he founded a Cistercian monastery, which he named the Holy Crown of Thorns. However, the reasons for founding the monastery were also political. The new monastery was intended to curb the potential expansionist ambitions of the Vítkovec family, who owned the nearby town of Český Krumlov.