By car from Prague
You can drive from Prague to Žďár nad Sázavou in less than two hours. From highway D1, take exit 119, towards Žďár nad Sázavou. Drive through the centre of town and continue along the main road in the direction of Hradec Králové. Santini’s road and a bridge with statues (a smaller replica of Charles Bridge) will let you know you’re in the right place.
By car from Brno
The drive from Brno to Žďár nad Sázavou takes about an hour and 15 minutes. From highway D1, take exit141 towards Žďár nad Sázavou. Drive through the centre of town and continue along the main road in the direction of Hradec Králové. Santini’s road and a bridge with statues will let you know you’re in the right place.
By Train
Direct train connections to Žďár nad Sázavou are available from Prague and Brno. Travel times are about two and half hours from Prague and an hour and 10 minutes from Brno.
Public Transport to Žďár nad Sázavou
The Žďár nad Sázavou castle is easily accessible via public transport from the bus station, which is located directly in front of the train station. Bus 2A departs hourly from platform #1. Alight at the station "Zámek.”
Festival taxi
Pepino taxi: +420 604 463 412
Festival bus
The timetable will be specified prior to the start of the festival.
Let us take you for a walk through eight centuries of history in the grounds of the former Cistercian monastery and current estate.
The monastery’s history began to be written as far back as the mid-1200 when Cistercian monks founded a monastery in the deep woods of Žďár. New trends and dynamic changes occurred in the 18th century under the influence of Abbot Vejmluva who - jointly with the builder Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel - brought new life to the site. At the Abbot’s incentive, Santini built his masterwork - the Pilgrimage Church of St. Jan Nepomuk at Zelená Hora, one of the UNESCO’s official heritage sites today. During the reforms under Joseph II, in 1784, the monastery was closed and gradually transformed into current estate. In the 1990’s, the Zdar estate was restituted by the Kinský family.
The tour now continues with new exhibits that combine immersive elements and experience with exhibits borrowed from prominent Czech institutions. Experience the unique atmosphere of history, life, creativity, and beautiful nature of Žďár.
Forget dull and dusty interpretative showcases. This exceptional museum originated in Cistercian monastery, a former brewery in Žďár. It offers an exciting return to history based on perceptions and feelings, so that environment encourages the visitor to discover. Visitor experiences are enriched, as they are lead with scenography experiences. This all-encompassing experience is enhanced by video projections and music. Staging the history of Žďár, tales of the personalities whose knowledge was imprinted into buildings or statues, based on historical facts visitors are given the opportunity to evoke emotions and curiosity from within.
Expositions represent three key periods in Žďár monastery and castle grounds. The first part goes back to the 13th century, the period of establishment of the Cistercian monastery. The second part of the exhibition takes visitors to the Baroque period when the monastery in Žďár enjoyed unprecedented prosperity. During this period you will meet baroque Zdar nad Sazavou and his great intellectual, artistic and economic prosperity. Cabinet of Curiosities is the last part of the exhibition, which combines historical and contemporary elements. Historical trend towards today's new prosperity of the Žďár complex conveys impressive mapping.
Žďár nad Sázavou is the capital city of the district Žďár nad Sázavou in the Vysočina region (The highlands) on both sides of the historic Czech-Moravian provincial border. Žďár is located 31 km northeast of Jihlava. The town lies in the central part of the Czech - Moravian highlands in the Žďár Hills on the river Sázava. Much of the city extends into protected land of Žďár Hills. Žďár has approx. 22 000 inhabitants.