Deutsche Version
The project ‘ATCZ00007 CISTERSCAPES VB-Zw-ZnS’ is co-funded by the programme Interreg Austria-Czechia.
The application of 17 Cistercian monastic landscapes from five European countries "Cisterscapes connecting Europe" was awarded the European Heritage Label on 17 April 2024 in Antwerp, Belgium. With this award, the European Commission recognised the outstanding role of the Cistercians for European integration. Cisterscapes is a European network that is based on a strong common history and has the potential to become an important mouthpiece for European cohesion.
International cooperation in an Interreg project
The Cistercian order has left its mark on the landscape since the Middle Ages. This cross-border cultural and natural heritage needs to be discovered and brought to the fore. To this end, the Cisterscapes partners have been implementing joint projects - such as the "Cistercian Way" long-distance hiking trail - since 2019. In the coming years, activities such as the "Visitation Tour" will strengthen the cohesion between the partners and regions.
The Cisterscapes partner sites Vyšší Brod in South Bohemia, Zwettl in the Waldviertel and Žďár nad Sázavou in the Visočina region work particularly closely together. They submitted a joint Interreg application on 30 November 2024. This will provide them with the necessary funding to create Cistercapes visitor centres, organise cross-border hiking and cycling excursions into the monastery landscape and hold exhibitions and concerts, workshops and lectures, gourmet weeks and craft markets. This Interreg project "Cistercian Landscapes: Vyšší Brod - Zwettl - Žďár nad Sázavou" started on 1 December 2023 and is implemented with financial support from the ERDF. Further details on the project can be found under this link.
Newsletter
Our first newsletter provides a concise overview ofthe progress made in the project.
The second newsletter summarizes the European significance of the cultural landscape and the special features of the regions that have become part of the European Cisterscapes network.
Events
Renovation of the Gschwendt Bridge completed
Hiking and cycling routes in the Kamp valley are once again fully accessible thanks to the renewed bridge at the Gschwendtmühle mill.
Free familiarisation trips for educators to the monastic landscape Zwettl
From 11 to 13 February, teachers – from kindergardens to secondary schools – will have the opportunity to learn about our Cisterscapes educational programmes.
Work begins on the Cisterscapes Visitor Centre in Zwettl
The rooms for the new Cisterscapes Visitor Centre have already been cleared out.
Guided hiking tours through the monastic landscape Zwettl
The unique monastic landscape Zwettl invites you to discover it on walks in spring!
Living history: anecdotes from the abbey, town and village
On 23 January 2026, the Rudmanns Beautification Association took part in the Cisterscapes pilot project ‘Dear Neighbours’ and explored the history of the town and Zwettl Abbey.
Culinary heritage of the Cistercians in Central Europe
Three cookbooks were raffled off and have now been given to the winners.
Cisterscapes in dialogue: educational workshop in the monastic landscape of Zwettl
Lively exchanges and creative ideas characterised the latest Interreg educational workshop on 8 January 2026.
Studying sources – understanding history
Before the semester break, the third-year classes at the Handelsakademie Zwettl (Commercial Academy) visited the Zwettl City Archives and explored historical sources.
Exhibition in the Old Town Hall
The new exhibition "Cisterscapes – Zwettl and its Monastery Landscape" in Zwettl's Old Town Hall illuminates the impressive cultural landscape surrounding Zwettl Abbey – awarded the European Heritage Label – and vividly conveys its unique historical, cultural, and scenic features. Visitors gain insights into the typical features of this region shaped by the Cistercians, including the characteristic farmyards that surround the monastery like a wreath.
The exhibition is open to the public until October 2025 during the opening hours of the Zwettl Tourist Center and the City Museum.
Video „Monastic Landscape Zwettl“
Video "Cisterscapes - A European Story"
To get you in the mood for the "Cisterscapes" project, the district of Bamberg has produced a joint video clip in collaboration with the 17 monastery landscapes. The video entitled "Cisterscapes - A European Story" and those of the individual sites have been published on the Cisterscapes YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqCaUHoQZXI
Video "Cisterscapes World Heritage Project"
A film about the Cistercian monastery and cultural landscape was made in the Stiftsland region around Waldsassen. This video can be watched on the website https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuBzVGwzWgA zu sehen.
Further information on the project can be found at www.cisterscapes.eu zu finden.
Partner sites in the Cisterscapes network:
Altenberg, Bronnbach, Ebrach, Langheim, Loccum, Maulbronn, Schulpforte, Waldsassen (D), Wągrowiec (PL), Plasy, Velehrad, Vyšší Brod, Žďár nad Sázavou (CZ), Rein, Zwettl (A), Kostanjevica na Krki, Stična (SI).
Project leader:
Bamberg district in Bavaria
Current contributions can be found in the city archive
