Emperor Ludwig’s Ettal Monastery and Abbey, Bavaria

Having seen quite a few churches, such as the Church of Our Lady in Prague, during our trip to Europe in May 2018, I thought our visit to the Ettal Monastery would be interesting. I was not disappointed. The whole area of Ettal, as most of Bavaria, is beautiful, but I couldn’t help but be impressed by the elegant architecture of the Ettal Monastery.  

It is a huge complex which is composed of Baroque and Rococo architecture.  Apparently Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian had it constructed so that it could house knights and monks. Today the Abbey is one of the largest Benedictine houses and is a major attraction for visitors.

History states that the Ettal Monastery or Abbey was founded on 28 April 1330, by Ludwig the Bavarian in the Graswang valley. This was done in fulfillment of a vow, upon his return from his coronation in Rome. The foundation legend is that Ludwig’s horse genuflected three times on the site of the original church building, where a marble statuette of the Madonna and Child (“Frau Stifterin” or the “Ettal Madonna”) now stands. The statuette was brought by Ludwig from Pisa as a gift for his new foundation. It soon became an object of pilgrimage. The church is dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin.

I was definitely eager to check out this incredible building. We found parking and made our way to the complex. It wasn’t small by any means, but it seemed a little smaller than I guess I was expecting. We did have a nice time walking around and checking out some of the art around the building and taking some pictures.

We slowly made our way inside hoping to be able to see the inside of the phenomenal Abbey, but they were having some kind of concert and weren’t allowing guests in who didn’t have prepaid tickets I was quite disappointed, but I know that is how things go sometimes. We did check out the little book store they had inside and saw a few pictures. It looked so beautiful. I hope to return one day and see the inside of the Ettal Monastery. Just one more reason to go back and visit the gorgeous area of Bavaria.