Mettlach abbey, Benedictine monastery in Mettlach, Germany.
Mettlach Abbey is a former Benedictine monastery in Mettlach, on the bank of the Saar River, made up of buildings from different centuries now used as the headquarters of Villeroy & Boch. The site brings together a Romanesque tower, a baroque chapel, and other stone structures arranged around a central courtyard.
The monastery was founded in the 7th century and changed hands several times over the following centuries before being dissolved during the French Revolution. In the early 19th century, the Boch family took over the site and converted it into a ceramics factory, which eventually became Villeroy & Boch.
The name Mettlach is thought to derive from a Latin word meaning middle place, which matches the abbey's position in a bend of the Saar River. The grounds still shape the center of the town around them, and the religious buildings remain the most visible reference point for the whole area.
The outer grounds are freely accessible and the main structures can be seen from the outside without entering the company premises. A visit pairs well with a walk along the Saar, since the site sits right on the riverbank.
The so-called Old Tower on the grounds dates from the 10th century and is considered one of the oldest surviving stone buildings in Saarland. It was not built as part of the monastery but was added later, and it now holds the tomb of the monastery's founder.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
