Eberbach Abbey

Eberbach Abbey (Kloster Eberbach), near Eltville am Rhein in Hesse's Rheingau wine region, is one of the best-preserved medieval monasteries in Europe. Cistercian monks founded it in 1136, built a severe Romanesque church and vast Gothic halls, and turned the abbey into a wine-making powerhouse. Movie fans know its vaulted rooms from "The Name of the Rose" with Sean Connery. Today it combines monastic architecture, wine tasting, and concerts in a quiet wooded valley.

A brief history

Twelve monks from Clairvaux in France, the abbey of St. Bernard, settled here on February 13, 1136. Their basilica was consecrated in 1186. Around 1500 the community had more than a hundred members and owned over 300 hectares of vineyards, the largest wine estate in Germany at the time. Monastic life ended with secularization in 1803. Over the following century the buildings served as a workhouse, an asylum, and a state prison. Since 1998 a non-profit foundation has managed the site, which draws roughly 300,000 visitors a year.

Things to do at Eberbach Abbey

• Basilica: a 76-meter Romanesque church with superb acoustics, used for Rheingau Music Festival concerts.
• Monks' dormitory: a 74-meter Gothic hall with rib vaulting, the most striking room on the tour.
• Cloister and chapter house: peaceful courtyards and tombstones of former abbots.
• Lay brothers' refectory: a collection of huge historic wine presses.
• Cabinet cellar: the vault often credited with giving the German wine grade "Kabinett" its name.
• Wine tasting: the wine shop and wine bar are open daily, and the abbey restaurant serves regional food.

The interiors of "The Name of the Rose" were filmed here in the winter of 1985/86, and the abbey has also appeared in Margarethe von Trotta's film about Hildegard of Bingen.

Tickets and opening hours

From April 1 to October 31, the abbey is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays. From November 1 to March 31, hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing.

Adult admission is 13 EUR (reduced 9 EUR), children 6 to 12 pay 6 EUR, teens 13 to 17 pay 8 EUR, and a family ticket costs 30 EUR. The audio guide is included and runs on your own smartphone via QR codes, so bring headphones. Some areas are currently partly restricted by scaffolding. Prices as of October 2026.

How to get to Eberbach Abbey

The abbey is about 60 km west of Frankfurt and close to Wiesbaden and Mainz, which makes it an easy day trip. By public transportation, take a regional train to Eltville station, then bus 172, which runs hourly to the "Kloster Eberbach" stop. Show your ticket at the entrance for a discount. Drivers follow the brown signs via Kiedrich; parking is available on site but fills up during big events.

Good to know

Allow about two hours for the self-guided tour, longer with a wine tasting. Dogs are not allowed inside the monastic enclosure (assistance dogs excepted), and not every room is wheelchair accessible, so contact the ticket office in advance if needed.

Is it worth visiting?

Absolutely, especially in fall during the grape harvest or when a concert is scheduled. Combine it with a walk to the walled Steinberg vineyard, a stop in the Gothic village of Kiedrich, or a stroll along the Rhine in Eltville.