Marienau Charterhouse, Carthusian monastery in Bad Wurzach, Germany.
Marienau Charterhouse is a Carthusian monastery in Bad Wurzach, Baden-Württemberg, made up of two cloisters, individual monk cells, workshops, a farmhouse, and a guesthouse, all enclosed within a perimeter wall. The buildings have yellow exterior walls, red-tiled roofs, and wooden beam ceilings typical of the regional construction style.
The charterhouse was founded in 1964 after the Maria Hain Charterhouse in Düsseldorf was forced to leave its site because of the expansion of the local airport. The monks relocated to Bad Wurzach, where the new complex was built, and it remains the only active Carthusian monastery in Germany today.
The monks spend most of their day alone in their cells, praying, reading, and doing manual work, following a way of life that has changed little over centuries. Visitors who walk near the outer walls can sense the deep stillness that surrounds the complex.
The monastery sits in a rural area outside Bad Wurzach and is easiest to reach by car, with parking available nearby. Access inside the complex is very limited since the monks live a secluded life, so it is worth contacting the monastery in advance before planning a visit.
Most Carthusian monasteries are built for 12 monks, but Marienau was designed as a double charterhouse, with space for 24. This makes it one of very few monasteries of this type anywhere in the world.
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