The historical landmark of supraregional significance is the National Historic Landmark Cistercian Monastery in Vyšší Brod, founded in 1259 by Vok I of Rosenberg. In the monastery, you can find the world´s unique National Cultural Landmark, the Záviš Cross. In 1990, the monks returned to the monastery. The monastery complex includes even a Postal Museum.
The historic core of the city is an urban conservation area. Other sights worth mentioning include, for example, the parish church of St. Bartholomew (kostel Sv. Bartoloměje) and the pilgrimage destination Maria Rast am Stein (German), translated: The Virgin Mary resting on the stone, which is a Marian pilgrimage place located on the northern slope of the Martínkovský hill (846 m) southwest of the monastery in Vyšší Brod. Here is the Chapel of Our Lady of Snow, paintings and the Chapel of the Grave of God.
On top of that, a small planet Nr. 121089 discovered by Miloš Tichý in 1999 from the observatory on Kleť near Český Krumlov, was named after the town. The nature is truly wonderful here, therefore we recommend visiting the Natural Park Vyšebrodsko and the National Nature Reserve Čertova stěna-Luč. From the monastery to the Menší Vltavice valley leads an educational nature trail called Opatská Trail (Opatská stezka), where you can behold a kingfisher, which supposedly inhabits the area around the waterfalls and, together with the waterlily, it is depicted on the Chapel near the spring. Moreover, you will see also trees over 170 years old including Douglas fir.
Lovers of cycling will be delighted to read that in Vyšší Brod begins the Bohemian Forest cycling trail (Šumavská cyklostezka), which leads along the left bank of the Vltava River across Čertova stěna and Loučovice to Lipno Dam. From here, it leads along the left bank of Lipno to Nová Pec into the depth of Šumava National Park. Along the right bank of the Vltava River and Lipno, a second bicycle path also leads from Vyšší Brod to Nová Pec, using old military asphalt roads, but its terrain is a bit more difficult and it is intended especially for mountain bikes.
Thanks to Lipno, there is a permanently navigable section of the Vltava River, the starting point for water tourists and also the most visited water tourist route in the Czech Republic and perhaps even in Europe. There are several boat rental services in Vyšší Brod, and the Czech Railways can transport the boats the whole way from České Budějovice.