Einsiedeln Abbey

Einsiedeln Abbey tickets: which one to buy

Einsiedeln Abbey stands in the village of Einsiedeln in the canton of Schwyz, central Switzerland, about an hour from Zurich by train, and entry to the abbey church is free. It is the most important pilgrimage site in Switzerland and one of the most important in Europe, dedicated to the Black Madonna, and it is a stop on the Way of Saint James to Santiago de Compostela. Guided tours of the abbey, which include the library and the monastery, are offered on certain days and must be booked;

the baroque library is especially beautiful. Visitors often combine Einsiedeln with the Sihlsee lake, the Diorama Bethlehem nativity scene museum, and the ski jumps in winter. The abbey is a working Benedictine monastery, with a community of monks, and the monks sing the Salve Regina every afternoon before the Black Madonna. Modest dress is required. Trains from Zurich change at Wädenswil, and the abbey is ten minutes' walk from Einsiedeln station.

Visiting Einsiedeln Abbey: what to see

Saint Meinrad, a monk, lived as a hermit here in the ninth century and was murdered in 861, and a Benedictine monastery was founded on the site in 934. The present abbey church and monastery were rebuilt between 1704 and 1735 in a magnificent baroque style, designed by the monk Caspar Moosbrugger, with the interior decorated by the Asam brothers, Cosmas Damian and Egid Quirin, with frescoes, stucco and gilded altars. The church's facade, with two towers, faces a large square with a fountain, the Frauenbrunnen, from whose fourteen spouts pilgrims traditionally drink. Inside, the Chapel of Grace, a marble chapel within the nave, holds the Black Madonna, a wooden statue of the Virgin and Child from the fifteenth century, darkened by centuries of candle smoke and dressed in rich robes.

The abbey library holds about 230,000 books and medieval manuscripts. The abbey's frescoes, painted by Cosmas Damian Asam, show the Nativity and the Last Supper on the vaults. The pulpit and choir screen are richly gilded. The Chapel of Grace was rebuilt in the nineteenth century after French troops destroyed the original in 1798, although the statue was saved. The Great Hall of the monastery, used for official receptions, has a painted ceiling. The monks breed horses of the Einsiedler breed, one of the oldest horse breeds in Europe, in the abbey stables. The abbey shop sells books, candles and products made by the monks.

Einsiedeln Abbey opening hours and the best time to go

The abbey church is open daily from early morning until evening. The Salve Regina is sung by the monks at around four o'clock in the afternoon. Einsiedeln is busy with pilgrims, especially on weekends and religious feasts, such as the Engelweihe on 14 September, which commemorates the miraculous consecration of the chapel. Winter brings snow and cross-country skiing. The Welttheater, a large open-air theatre performance, is staged on the abbey square every few years. Allow about forty-five minutes for the church and square, and longer for a tour of the library. The Diorama Bethlehem, a short walk from the abbey, displays one of the largest nativity scenes in the world.