Klausen: Art, Churches and Paths to Sabiona Monastery

If you are looking for a hotel in Klausen and want to focus your stay on cultural history, you can choose from several distinct themes: the Museo Civico di Chiusa in the former Capuchin monastery, the Chiusa artists’ colony, sacred collections and churches, and the paths to Sabiona Monastery. To help you choose, consider whether you would rather focus on art and its history, the history of construction and consecration, or the route itself.

Museum, Artists’ Colony and Loreto Treasure

The Museo Civico di Chiusa is located in the former Capuchin monastery. A dedicated section is devoted to the Chiusa artists’ colony, which existed from 1874 to 1914. This period gives the art collection a clear historical framework. The museum tour also includes the cloister and the Capuchin monastery church. Thus, alongside the collections, the tour takes in two other parts of the monastery complex.

The Loreto Treasure is another highlight. This valuable collection comprises paintings and sacred objects. Spanish kings and other prominent figures at the Spanish court gifted it to Father Gabriel Pontifeser and the Capuchin monastery of Chiusa. The treasure can therefore be understood both through its works of art and through the history of its donation. For a culturally focused stay, an artists’ colony from a defined period and a collection with its own provenance sit side by side.

Churches and Historical Landmarks

The parish church of Sant'Andrea is Late Gothic and was consecrated in 1494. Two other dates are central to the Capuchin church: it was built in 1699 and consecrated in 1701. Sant'Andrea thus has a specific stylistic designation and consecration year, while the construction history of the Capuchin church can be traced through its construction and subsequent consecration.

Albrecht Dürer’s stay also connects Klausen to a precisely identified historical reference point. Dürer stayed in Chiusa in autumn 1494 and climbed the slopes of Monte Tschan on the left side of the valley. His stay and the consecration of Sant'Andrea both date to 1494; the Capuchin church was built later, in 1699, and consecrated in 1701. This comparison places the different historical details in a chronological context without conflating the events.

Paths to Sabiona Monastery

Two route details are particularly specific for visiting Sabiona Monastery. The monastery can only be reached on foot via the Via Crucis; the walk takes about 30 minutes. The second stage of the Chestnut Trail leads into the monastery through the north portal. For the Via Crucis, the approximate walking time is a useful planning guide; for the Chestnut Trail, it is the described route through the north portal.

Another route description leads from Klausen to the slopes of Monte Tschan: after a few minutes, the Dürerstein Trail reaches a bench. If you plan to take this route, check the trail conditions before your trip. The routes have different emphases: the Dürerstein Trail leads to the slopes of Monte Tschan and a bench, while the two routes described to Sabiona have the monastery as their destination.

A Culinary Occasion

At the Festa del Törggelen, a wide selection of white wines from the Eisack Valley complements the culinary offerings. The programme may change. If you are choosing the festival as the occasion for your trip, check the latest event dates before making plans.

Choosing a destination starts with the themes that really matter for your trip.

Discover more destinations: Mühlbach, Villanders, Villnöß, Feldthurns, Meransen, Lüsen, Natz-Schabs, Barbian

Return to the regional travel overview: Eisack Valley.