Deutsche Version
Project name: CISTERNAL LANDSCAPES: Vyšší Brod - Zwettl - Žďár nad Sázavou
Project number: ATCZ00007; Project acronym: CISTERSCAPES VB-Zw-ZnS
Overview of the main objectives of the ‘CISTERSCAPES VB-Zw-ZnS’ project
- To make the cross-border cultural and natural heritage of Cistercian monastic landscapes visible
- To draw attention to the European cultural landscapes of European value and the international CISTERSCAPES network (honoured with the European Heritage Label)
- To encourage tourists to visit the destination in the Czech-Austrian border area and increase the number of visitors
- To promote sustainable tourism and environmentally friendly forms of tourism
- To develop thematic cross-border sustainable tourism products and to create a cross-border destination
- To connect the two main routes of the European long-distance hiking and pilgrimage trail ‘Cistercian Way’
- To ensure a high-quality visitor experience by setting up visitor centres
- To develop exhibition concepts and joint contents for educational and awareness-raising activities
All these planned results can only be achieved through direct cross-border cooperation.
Project organiser:
- Cisterciácké opatství Vyšší Brod
- Žďár nad Sázavou
- Municipality of Zwettl
- Zwettl Abbey
The central content of the project is the attractive presentation of the history of the influence of the Cistercian Order on the development of the border region of South Bohemia, the Waldviertel and the Vysočina region.
The Cistercian monastic landscapes around Vyšší Brod, Zwettl and Žďár nad Sázavou have been part of the international network "CISTERSCAPES connecting Europe" since 2019, which was awarded the European Heritage Label (EHL) by the European Commission on 17 April 2024. This award confirms the regional and European value of the landscape, which bears the lasting traces of the Cistercian order's activities since the 12th century.
The aim of the project is to raise the profile of this cross-border cultural and natural heritage, attract more visitors to these regions and ensure a high-quality visitor experience. A further aim is to create a shared cross-border destination based on the principles of complementarity of the three regions' offer, a unique experience and new knowledge.
The project also aims to make the centrepiece of the Zwettl Cistercian monastery landscape, the Kreuzgarten, accessible for the first time ever. We expect this to be a new tourist magnet for the Czech-Austrian border region!
The triangle Vyšší Brod - Zwettl - Zďár nad Sázavou has considerable potential both in terms of cooperation and regional overlaps. Numerous results from (supra)regional exhibitions and projects - especially in the field of cycling and cultural tourism - from the last ten years can be built upon. In addition, the pilgrimage church of St John of Nepomuk on the Green Mountain near Zďár nad Sázavou was inscribed on the World Cultural and Natural Heritage List, as were Třebíč and Telč.
An important aspect for all three Cistercian monastery landscapes is the connection to the two main routes of the European long-distance hiking and pilgrimage trail "Cistercian Way", which will be virtually linked by a network of recommended routes as part of the cross-border project. This creates thematic cross-border sustainable tourism products that guide visitors to cultural and natural sites within a radius of 30 to 50 kilometres around the individual Cistercian monasteries and beyond into the cross-border cooperation area.
The main achievements and output
The key to understanding the history of the influence of the Cistercian order on the landscape through economic activities is the establishment of visitor centres that present not only the common features of the Cistercian monastic landscapes, but also their exceptional regional characteristics - fish farming (especially carp) in the Zwettl region, glassmaking and metallurgy in the Žďár nad Sázavou region or agricultural production with brewing, beekeeping or pearl farming in Vyšší Brod. All in the spirit of the Order's charter "Ora et labora" and the motto "Diversity in unity - unity in diversity".
In the course of the project, the project partners will jointly create educational and visitor information programmes with a high degree of digitalisation and interactivity with the support of the strategic partners. During the preparatory phase, working groups were put together and a content-related theme was developed. In collaboration with experts, detailed exhibition slides and joint content for educational and awareness-raising activities are created, which the partners then implement in the visitor centres and cultural landscapes.
The historic cultural landscapes will also be linked through cross-border, joint educational programmes, international exchanges, visitor activities and events, creating a network of tourism products and a unique shared destination.
The cooperation of the project partners also includes the development of a strategic action plan - the basic document of a joint destination. This action plan will be the driving force for regional development in co-operation with external experts, with the involvement of all partners and the participation of tourism service providers and communities. Cooperation with strategic tourism partners from South Bohemia, Lower Austria and the Vysočina region is crucial.
All these planned results can only be achieved through direct cross-border cooperation.
Project start date: 1.12.2023.
Funding: Support from the ERDF
Project duration: 36 months.
