Fulda monastery

Fulda monastery is a Benedictine community in Fulda, Germany, with a church, cloister, St. Luke nursing home, guest house, monastery shop and a garden covering 2000 square meters (about 21,500 square feet). The grounds bring together religious, social and agricultural spaces under one roof, allowing the monks to live according to the Rule of Saint Benedict.

Saint Sturm founded the community in 744 following the guidance of Saint Boniface and chose a site along the river that later became the heart of the town of Fulda. Over the following centuries the monastery grew into an important spiritual and intellectual center within the Holy Roman Empire.

The name Fulda comes from the river that flows beside the grounds, where the community has lived and prayed for more than twelve centuries. Today the Benedictines follow a rhythm of prayer, work and study that shapes the daily routine and gives visitors a sense of monastic life.

The church is open during prayer times, with lauds beginning at six in the morning, followed by mass at half past seven and further services throughout the day. Visitors can join the services or experience the space in silence as long as they respect the schedule.

The garden has been cultivated using organic methods for over fifty years, producing herbs, vegetables and fruit for the community's own needs. This tradition of self-sufficiency reaches back to the original monastic rule, which requires the monks to perform physical work as part of their spiritual life.