Monument to Adalbert Stifter in Horní Planá

Monument to Adalbert Stifter in Horní Planá honors the writer and painter born in this small South Bohemian town, whose prose drew heavily on the landscape around his birthplace. The bronze figure stands in a park named after him, on the Dobrá Voda hill north of the town square, along the path leading to a nearby chapel.

Who was Adalbert Stifter, and why does Horní Planá have a monument to him?

Stifter was born in Horní Planá and is often called the "poet of the Šumava" for how closely his writing was tied to the countryside of his childhood. Local residents decided to commemorate their most famous native son already in the 19th century, laying out a dedicated park in his name. The monument itself followed later, unveiled in 1906.

What does the monument look like, and who created it?

The sculptor behind the monument was Karel Wilfert. His bronze figure shows a man in a long coat, leaning with his right hand on a granite block while holding a book - a nod to Stifter's literary work. The statue rests on a low, square granite pedestal carved with the name "Adalbert Stifter." The monument has been listed as a protected cultural heritage site since 1958.

Where exactly does the monument stand?

It stands in Stifter Park, on the Dobrá Voda hill, along the route from the center of Horní Planá to a chapel nearby. The hill had long served as a pilgrimage site, and the park around the monument was laid out by townspeople in the late 19th century specifically to honor the writer and painter born here.

What else is there to see near the monument?

Right next to it stands a Late Baroque chapel dating from 1777-1779, tied to the legendary Dobrá Voda spring. An educational trail dedicated to Stifter also runs through the area, roughly 6.5 kilometers long, starting at the writer's birth house in town and ending above the former settlement of Karlovy Dvory. From the hill, visitors get views over the surrounding hills and the Lipno reservoir.

How do you get to the monument?

The easiest way is on foot from the main square in Horní Planá - the path heads toward Dobrá Voda hill and takes only a short walk to cover. The same spot can also be worked into a longer walk along the educational trail, combining a stop at the monument with a visit to the writer's birth house in the town center.

Frequently asked questions

When was the monument to Adalbert Stifter in Horní Planá built? In 1906.

Who designed the monument? Sculptor Karel Wilfert.

Where is the monument located? In Stifter Park, on the Dobrá Voda hill, along the path to a nearby chapel, north of the town square in Horní Planá.

Is the monument a protected heritage site? Yes, it has been listed as a cultural monument since 1958.

What does the statue depict? A bronze figure of a man in a long coat, leaning on a granite block with his right hand and holding a book, set on a pedestal carved with the writer's name.

What else is worth seeing nearby? A Late Baroque chapel from 1777-1779 at the Dobrá Voda spring, and an educational trail dedicated to Stifter running from his birth house to the former settlement of Karlovy Dvory.