The Monastery of the Minorites sits in Český Krumlov’s Latrán quarter, below the castle on the left bank of the Vltava. The Rosenberg family founded it in 1350 as a rare double monastery, housing Minorite friars and Poor Clare nuns side by side. Visitors come for one of South Bohemia’s best-preserved Gothic religious complexes, which a Franciscan community still inhabits.
Guided tours lead through the Gothic cloister, where fragments of medieval wall paintings survive beneath ribbed vaulting. The tours also cover the Church of the Body of Christ and the Virgin Mary, whose Baroque altars and furnishings sit against its older Gothic shell. Exhibitions trace monastic life, local devotion and the Rosenberg patronage behind the complex. Part of the grounds operates as monastery workshops, where hands-on sessions teach traditional crafts such as candle-making, weaving and calligraphy. The garden and seasonal events, including Advent markets, draw locals as well as tourists.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Tour groups and day-trippers from Prague and Vienna pack Český Krumlov from late morning to mid-afternoon, especially in July and August. Arrive at opening time or late in the day for a quieter cloister. Spring and early autumn offer the best balance of open hours and smaller crowds. Opening times shift by season, and some winter days are limited, so confirm schedules and tour languages directly with the monastery before you go. Book workshops ahead for groups. From the monastery, cross the Lazebnický Bridge to reach the castle and the historic centre.
