Wittichen Abbey, Medieval monastery in Schenkenzell, Germany.
Wittichen Abbey is a convent set in a narrow valley of the Kleine Kinzig stream, surrounded by dense Black Forest woodlands. The complex includes a baroque church and several monastic buildings arranged around a central courtyard.
The monastery was founded in 1324 by Saint Luitgard with 33 sisters, supported by the counts of Geroldseck and Queen Agnes of Hungary. After secularization in 1803, the convent closed and most buildings were repurposed or lost.
The baroque church holds the tomb of Saint Luitgard, and the cemetery contains graves of medieval counts. Visitors can see how this place served as a center of prayer and community life for the Poor Clares.
Circular walking paths around the abbey grounds offer good views of the complex and surrounding landscape. The trails are generally well marked and connect to information boards explaining the area's former mining history.
The Langer Bau, a 17th-century residence for abbesses, remains one of the few preserved buildings after the monastery closed in 1803. This house reveals how comfortable accommodations were for the abbey's leadership compared to the simple cells of ordinary sisters.
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