Mariastern Abbey

Mariastern Abbey is a Trappist monastery in Delibašino Selo featuring a church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and residential buildings for monks. The grounds sit near the Vrbas River and include structures that developed over more than a century.

The monastery was founded in 1869 after its founder struggled to establish a Trappist community elsewhere. It later became a significant religious center that attracted many pilgrims and scholars.

The name references Mary and a star, symbols central to the spiritual life of the monastic community here. Visitors can sense the daily presence of monks in the chapel and around the monastery grounds, where silence and prayer shape the rhythm of the day.

The monastery shop sells products made by the monks themselves, including cheese, wine, and beer. Keep in mind this is an active monastery with regular prayer times, which may limit when you can visit.

The monastery had electric lighting by 1899, well before the city of Banja Luka received widespread power connections. This early adoption shows how forward-thinking the monastic community was at the time.