- Address: Zlatá Koruna 1, 382 02 Zlatá Koruna, Czech Republic
- Phone: +420 380 743 126
- Website: klaster-zlatakoruna.eu
The medieval Czech Republic is a fairy tale and delight, and many tourists are not limited to visiting the beautiful castles of the country. Your excursions to the southern regions of the Czech Republic should not bypass the monastery of the Golden Crown. The prominent architectural ensemble that adorns the beautiful valley of the Vltava shore, and today preserves the atmosphere of the life of monks several hundred years ago.
Description
Monastery Zolotaya Korona (or Zlatokorunsky) is located in the homonymous village of Zlata Koruna, which belongs to the Cesky Krumlov area in the South Bohemian Region. The monastery belongs to the order of white monks, Cistercians. In 1995 the monastery was listed among the national cultural monuments.
The Monastery of the Golden Crown was founded in 1263 by King Přemysl Otakar II himself. According to legend, in 1260 the monarch publicly vowed to found a monastery in the southern lands, if he wins at the Battle of Cresenbrunn. Three years later it happened. The monastery houses a fragment of the crown of thorns of Jesus Christ: it is with this symbol that the name of the religious complex is related. In the monastic chronicles of the fourteenth century, it was mentioned not the Golden, but the Holy Crown.
It is believed that in the XIV century the monastery of the Golden Crown reached its maximum development. Czech princes regularly increased their wealth by regular donations, besides, land plots expanded significantly. Later the Hussite troops plundered and destroyed the monastery more than once, and funds for a large-scale restoration of the architectural complex appeared only in the second half of the 17th century. The buildings had a somewhat baroque appearance, and the interior decoration already belonged to the rococo style: frescoes appeared on the walls, and decorations at the altar.
The Monastery of the Golden Crown was nationalized in 1948, and two years later the first tourists came here.
What is interesting about this attraction?
The most interesting architectural object of the monastery complex is the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - the largest temple in the whole of the Czech Republic. Also worth a visit is the chapel of the Guardian Angels, built in a beautiful Gothic style. This is the oldest structure of all the surviving ones.
In the monastery of the Golden Crown, there are several types of excursions of your choice. For example, you can get acquainted with the daily life of a monk of the XVIII century to see monastic relics, artifacts, burials. In one of the premises from 2012, there is a real concert grand piano of the Berlin firm Carl Bechstein. The model has a world uniqueness and was created for the royal court of the Russian Empire.
The monastery has its own small observatory and a garden with fountains and greenhouses.
How to get there?
Zlata-Koruna village can be reached by train or intercity bus. From the city of Krumlov come here by car, near the monastery there is parking and an official camping.
The Monastery of the Golden Crown can be visited every day, except Monday. However, if on this day of the week a state holiday falls, the day off is postponed to Tuesday. The time of group excursions (the number is more than 5 people) from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 13:00 to 15:30.
Without a guide, you can visit one chapel. Other excursions are held in many languages. In the basilica it is forbidden to make any survey, and other places and territories can be photographed, but without a flash and a tripod. The price of excursions for adults will cost you € 2.5-7, for students and children from the age of 6-15 - € 1.5-4, for pensioners over 65 - € 2-6. There are options for family subscriptions and conditions for individual visits to the chapel.