Wessobrunn: Monastery, Art and Nature

Wessobrunn: Monastery, Art and Nature

Wessobrunn is shaped by Altbayern’s significant former Benedictine monastery. The monastery’s surviving interiors feature Baroque stucco work and room decorations. There are several themes to focus on as you plan your trip: the monastery’s history, religious art and distinctive natural features.

Guided tours of the Prelate’s Wing include visits to the Magdalenen Hall and Tassilo Hall. Check the current schedule before your trip. The information centre in the old town hall, formerly Wessobrunn’s schoolhouse, offers an overview of the monastery’s history and the importance of the Wessobrunn artists. As opening hours vary by season, it is also advisable to check the latest information before visiting.

The Fountain Hall and Religious Art

At the Three Springs, the springs converge in the shape of a cross; they have been venerated for many centuries. The open, three-arched Fountain Hall stands there, built in 1735 to designs by Joseph Schmuzer. Inside the hall are a painting depicting the founding legend and a view of the monastery based on Johann Schmuzer’s ideal plan. Here, the spring landscape, the hall’s architecture and depictions of the monastery’s history come together.

The Marien Grotto also brings together architectural history and religious art. It was built in 2009 from tufa stones from the former monastery church and consecrated on 11 October of the same year by the Bishop of Augsburg. The grotto contains a copy of the statue “Mother of Holy Hope”, created around 1235 to 1250.

In the parish church of St. John the Baptist, Thassilo Zöpf created the stucco decoration and the altars. The frescoes were painted by Johann Baptist Baader in 1758 and 1759. The church also houses the late Romanesque Wessobrunn Cross, created around 1250 by an unknown artist. Together, the different works represent various periods and forms of religious art in Wessobrunn.

Places of Remembrance and the Lapidarium

The Kreuzberg Chapel commemorates the monks murdered by the Hungarians in 955. Matthäus Günther painted the chapel’s ceiling fresco in 1771. A stone slab on the east side of its tower commemorates its construction in 1595.

The ground floor of the medieval bell tower houses a lapidarium. The tower is also known as the Roman Tower or “Grey Duke”; the lapidarium preserves medieval stone fragments from demolished parts of the monastery and monastery church. From April to October, it is freely accessible up to the entrance gate. Check seasonal access information before your trip.

The Tassilo Lime Tree and Paterzell Yew Forest

The Tassilo lime tree is a small-leaved lime (Tilia platyphyllos) about 17 metres tall, with a trunk circumference of approximately 14 metres. Its age is estimated at 700 to 900 years. It has been protected as a natural monument since 1980; in October 2023, it was named a National Heritage Tree. Its approximate measurements, estimated age and two dated distinctions offer different insights into this striking tree.

Another natural attraction is the Paterzell Yew Forest, a semi-natural, mixed, multi-layered forest with many old yew trees. Established in 1995, the yew nature trail passes the forest’s most distinctive spots. It lies within the associated municipality and adds a trail focused on the forest and its defining features to the area’s natural attractions.

Discover more destinations: Oberhausen, Penzberg, Pähl, Weilheim in Oberbayern, Seeshaupt, Altenstadt, Schongau, Eberfing.

Go to the overview of the wider travel area: Weilheim-Schongau.