Day trip to the breathtaking Ettal Abbey (Kloster Ettal) in Bavaria, Germany

"GRÜSS GOTT" from Ettal. Today's road trip takes us to the very south of Germany, where we visit the breathtakingly beautiful monastery of Ettal, nestled in the heart of the Bavarian Alps.
If you are a lover of mountainous scenery and beautiful churches, this article will be for you <3

THINGS TO KNOW

Ettal Abbey is a benedictine monastery located in the small village of Ettal, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen (host of the Winter Olympics 1972) in Bavaria, southern Germany.
The abbey was founded in 1330 under Emperor Louis IV (called 'the Bavarian'), and is known for its rich history and impressive architecture.
Ettal Abbey ("Kloster Ettal" in German) is not only an important place of pilgrimage, but also a very popular tourist destination known for its exceptional beauty. The main visitor magnet here being the baroque monastic church, the Basilica Minor by the name of "Mariä Himmelfahrt" (Church of the Assumption of Mary).

This Basilica is definitely the MUST-SEE site in Ettal. The architecture and decoration of it is simply breathtaking. I have tried to give you an impresion and share my sense of awe with you by taking this vid:

Nowadays, the abbey is home to a fraternity of about 30 monks who live and work according to the benedictine principle "Ora et Labora", valuing a balance of prayer, labour and hospitality.

The monastery itself also features a brewery and distillery that can be visited. The Benedictine monks of Ettal have been producing beer and liqueurs for centuries, some of which are still made and sold today, such as the "Ettaler Kloster Hell", "Ettaler Kloster Dunkel", and the famous "Ettaler Bock" beers. The Ettaler beers are mainly sold within a radius of about 100 kilometers. Visitors can take a tour and learn more about the process of brewing and distillation.

On the monastery grounds, there is a cheese dairy where you can watch cheese-making and buy various finished cheeses, as well as a monastery store with a bookstore: in addition to homemade distillery products and books, they mainly sell secular and Christian souvenirs.

The so-called "Alpinum", an Alpine climate garden on the grounds of Kloster Ettal which presents a cross-section of all important Alpine plants, is both a beautiful and educational way of stretching your legs in a picturesque setting.

Kloster Ettal is located in the heart of the Bavarian Alps, surrounded by the beauty of nature and offers a spectacular view of the nearby Zugspitze (the highest mountain in Germany, at 2962m / 9718ft)

THE EXTERIOR - isn't this just beautiful?

CONTROVERSIAL

"Where there is light, there is darkness".
Kloster Ettal was until recently also widely known as a boys' grammar school and elite boarding school. However, in 2010, a scandal of abuse and mistreatment of students by the monks came to light, and the associated damage to reputation is hardly repairable. Therefore, the closure of the school was decided and communicated to happen with the end of the 2024 summer term.