Old Upper Synagogue

The Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary is a neo-Gothic parish church built in 1895-1898. The church was built with the support of John II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1858-1929), under the direction of the architect Karel Weinbrenner. As a model for the construction of the church, Weinbrenner chose the Viennese Church of Our Lady of Victory by the architect Friedrich Schmidt.

The Benedictine monastery in Rajhrad was founded according to tradition in 1045, making it the oldest monastic-type foundation in Moravia. The present monastic complex dates back to the 18th century, it was built between 1721 and 1746 according to the plans of the architect Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel; however, its project was not completed. After being dissolved in 1950, the largely devastated monastery was taken over by the Benedictine order in 1990. Its entire complex with the Church of St. Peter and Paul is protected as a cultural monument and in 2005 the library became the basis of the new Memorial of Literature in Moravia.

The Synagogue was built in 1652 in baroque style. It was closed by the Nazis in 1940, and was restored in 1994. Today it houses an exhibition hall and Jewish artefacts. Inside the synagogue, you will observe arcades and Hebrew writings on the wall.