Welcome to Stift Zwettl Abbey!
The monastery in Zwettl was founded by Hadmar I. of Kuenring in 1138. The first Cistercians developed a rational, integrated scheme for building abbeys, which was used across Europe. They erected their monasteries far away from settlements, partly even in unpopulated regions. Stift Zwettl Abbey preserved its medieval appearance till today.
The cloister was built in the first half of the 13th century. One can follow the different stages of medieval architecture here – if you look at the oldest parts which are the north and the east wings you can see the rounded Romanesque arches, in the fountain house there are lancet Gothic arches. Close to the dormitory, where the monks used to sleep, there is the “necessarium”, which was the latrine. The Chapter House in Romanesque style dates back to the last quarter of the 12th century. Thus it is the oldest extant Cistercian chapter. The Monastery Church has a late Gothic hall choir which combines harmoniously with an ambulatory and a ring of 14 chapels, ist Baroque high altar is dedicated to the Assumption of Virgin Mary. A rare, magnificent library comes from the Baroque period.
Audioguides in English are available. The English audio guide tour begins at the ticket office in the gift shop. The tour takes you through the oldest Romanesque rooms and the famous Way of the Cross with the chapter house and lavatorium (monks’ washroom), where the development from Romanesque to Gothic can be followed. The monastery is surrounded by spacious gardens, which are freely accessible and invite their visitors not only to walk, but also to relax. The guide through the cloister can also be downloaded free of charge via the “Zisterzienserstift Zwettl” app.
Infrastructure
Restaurant, Abbey shop, Parking free
Visiting hours: from March 24th to October 31st 2024
Audio tours
from May to September from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, April and October from 9.30 a.m. to 4 p.m., last admission 45 minutes before the ticket office closes
The church, treasury room and library are only accessible with guided tours in German. Visitors can borrow texts in English at the cash desk.
Guided tours library:
daily at 3.00 p.m. and Sundays and public holidays at 11.00 a.m.: this tour also includes a small special exhibition “Cisterscapes”.
Guided tours of the church and treasury:
every day at 11:00 a.m. (except Sundays and public holidays), and at 2:00 p.m., from May to September on Sundays and public holidays at 12.30 p.m
Admission
Adults € 12,50
Concessions € 11,50
Families € 25,00
Children € 6,50