Grimmenstein monastery, Religious monastery in Walzenhausen, Switzerland
Grimmenstein monastery is a religious community situated on the border between two Swiss cantons, with a church, residential quarters, and garden spaces. The Church of St. Ottilia functions as both a monastic chapel and the local parish church serving the Catholic community.
The monastery was founded in 1378 by a group of Beguines and received construction permission near Grimmenstein Castle ruins in 1424. Over the centuries, it developed into an important religious center that continues to serve the local Catholic community today.
The Capuchin nuns maintain herb and medicinal plant gardens that shape daily life at the monastery, showing visitors how centuries-old traditions of natural healing continue in practice today.
The monastery is set in a quiet landscape and reaches via straightforward paths that invite exploration of the surroundings. Visitors should wear respectful clothing and honor the nuns' times of solitude and prayer.
The monastery grounds form an exclave of Appenzell Innerrhoden surrounded by Appenzell Ausserrhoden, an unusual territorial arrangement in Switzerland. This peculiar boundary dates back to 1870 and gives the site a distinctive geographic character.
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