Schlierbach Abbey, Baroque Cistercian monastery in Schlierbach, Austria
Schlierbach Abbey is a Cistercian monastery in the village of Schlierbach in Upper Austria, set among rolling hills and meadows. The complex groups a baroque church, a cloister, a library with old manuscripts, and several workshops, all open to visitors.
The abbey was founded in 1355 by Eberhard von Wallsee as a convent for nuns. Around 1620, Cistercian monks took over and turned it into a monastery for men.
The monastery runs a cheese dairy whose products, including a variety called St. Severin, are sold in the on-site shop. A stained glass workshop on the grounds is where craftspeople design and make colored windows by hand, and visitors can watch the process during a tour.
Guided tours are the best way to see the church, the cloister, and the workshops together. A restaurant on the grounds offers a good place to stop before or after the visit.
The church holds an organ built by Valentin Hochleitner starting in 1770, which is still played during services today. Attending a service is one of the few ways to hear it in a space that has changed very little over the centuries.
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