From the very beginning, the pilgrimage at Zelená Hora was a major event, attracting pilgrims from far and wide. The pilgrimage procession consisted of pilgrims coming from cities and villages located not only in the estates of the monastery of Žďár nad Sázavou. The participants were often dressed in local costumes and were accompanied by a band, flag bearers, prelates, nobility, etc. The pilgrims carried a stretcher on a five-pointed star pedestal, on which a silver statue of St John of Nepomuk weighing almost 20 kg was positioned. The procession reached several thousand people. Pilgrims often stayed at Zelená Hora for a longer period of time, spending the night in the cloister or on the surrounding slopes.
The tradition of the pilgrimage was disrupted by a fire of the church in 1784. The state and church administration initially banned further pilgrimages but thanks to the efforts of several local patriots, this decision was reversed. Nevertheless, the interest in pilgrimages gradually declined until finally only the main St John of Nepomuk pilgrimage was celebrated in May. In 2018, thanks to the cooperation between the Roman Catholic Parish of Žďár nad Sázavou II and the association Putování za Santinim, the tradition of folk costume processions was restored, which currently takes place on the feast of St Wenceslas and is accompanied by a performance of groups in folk dresses in the pilgrimage area.
