Engelberg Abbey, Benedictine monastery and church in Engelberg, Switzerland

Engelberg Abbey is a Benedictine monastery whose white-walled, grey-roofed wings step up a snow-covered slope. Its church has a steep dark grey hipped roof, and at its left end a square tower carries a green onion dome with a clock face and small lantern. Inside, the high altar frames a painting of figures in clouds against a red-brown sky in white marble with red veining, flanked by two twisted columns with gold capitals and topped by an oval blue clock with gold numerals.

The monastery was founded in 1120 and shaped the region for centuries. A major fire in 1729 destroyed the original structures, leading to a complete baroque reconstruction that gave it its current appearance.

The abbey's name appears in founding documents as Mons Angelorum, "Hill of Angels", echoed in the valley's name Engelberg. Since 1851 the Stiftsschule has operated as a boarding school run on the abbot's behalf, offering a bilingual German-English Matura alongside the International Baccalaureate. The convent counted 17 members in 2025.

The abbey stands on a slope above Engelberg village, with the baroque church and connected convent wings grouped around the courtyard; the church is entered from the complex itself. The monastery is an active Benedictine house with a boarding school, so parts of the buildings are closed to visitors. The church interior, rebuilt 1730–1737, is where the 137-register main organ and the 1964 Eschmann bells are found.

The monastery operates its own hydroelectric power plant to supply the complex's energy needs. This self-sufficiency reflects how the community has sustained itself across centuries while embracing modern technology.