Kastl Abbey, Benedictine monastery in Kastl, Germany
Kastl Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Bavaria's Lauterachtal valley with a Zwinger fortification, cloister, and tower within its stone walls. These different structures form a self-contained complex designed to function as both a religious community and a fortified site.
The monastery was founded in 1103 by Count Berengar II of Sulzbach and dedicated to Saint Peter and Counts Friedrich and Otto of Kastl-Habsberg. Over the following centuries, different religious orders managed the community, including Jesuits and later the Knights Hospitallers.
The name comes from its fortified location in a valley where monastic communities shaped daily life for centuries. The buildings reflect different religious traditions that were practiced here one after another.
The site is located in Kastl at Klosterburg 4 in the Lauterachtal valley region, easily found in the small valley town. The fortified layout of the complex makes it straightforward to walk through and explore on foot.
The site preserves the remains of Princess Anna, daughter of Emperor Louis IV, who died at just 18 months old in 1319. Her burial here is marked and remembered within one of the cloistered spaces.
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