The restored paradise courtyard in the Jindřichův Hradec monastery can be visited by people for free

Jindřichův Hradec – The Paradise Courtyard of the former Minorite monastery from the mid-14th century in Jindřichův Hradec has undergone restoration. People can visit it for free on holiday weekends between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM. The reconstruction of the historic space, managed by the Jindřichův Hradec Museum, cost 1.3 million crowns, informed museum spokesperson Marcela Kozlová.

"We wanted to return the Paradise Courtyard to visitors as a place of peace, pause, and an experience of the unique atmosphere of the Minorite monastery. Our goal was to sensitively restore the historic space so that it remains authentic while also coming alive again for contemporary visitors," said museum director Martina Machartová. The museum removed concrete and stone paving and vegetation from an area of 136 square meters.

Due to the historic nature of the building, workers were unable to use heavy machinery and all materials were transported manually through the Church of St. John the Baptist. Without the use of machinery, they transported over 25 tons of concrete, removed 50 tons of original soil, and brought back 32 tons of compost. A total of 1560 bulbs, 480 perennials, 32 shrubs, and two trees were planted in the restored Paradise Courtyard. The new centerpiece of the space is a kinetic fountain by academic sculptor František Svátek.

The Jindřichův Hradec Museum was established as a municipal museum in 1882. In 1928, a new exhibition of the museum was opened in the Renaissance building of the former Jesuit seminary on Balbín Square. It acquired its most attractive exhibit, the Krýza's nativity scene, in 1935. The museum manages a large complex of the Church of St. John the Baptist and the former Minorite monastery on Štítného Street, which houses the museum's offices, a library with a research room, a conference hall, exhibition spaces, and displays.