Ettal Abbey

Ettal Abbey (Kloster Ettal) is a Benedictine monastery in the Bavarian Alps, about 90 minutes south of Munich, and one of the most impressive baroque buildings in Upper Bavaria. Its huge green dome rises from a narrow valley between Oberau and Oberammergau. Founded in 1330 by Emperor Louis the Bavarian, the abbey draws visitors for its dazzling Rococo basilica, its centuries-old brewery and its famous herbal liqueur. It fits easily into a day trip with Linderhof Palace or Oberammergau.

History

Emperor Louis IV, known as Louis the Bavarian, founded Ettal on April 28, 1330, according to tradition to fulfill a vow. He brought a small statue of the Virgin Mary from Italy, the Ettal Madonna, which turned the abbey into a pilgrimage site.

The original Gothic church had an unusual twelve-sided plan. After a devastating fire in 1744, it was rebuilt in the Rococo style around the same central space. The abbey was dissolved during secularization in 1803, and Benedictine monks returned in 1900. In 1920 the church was named a minor basilica. The monks still run a secondary school on site.

What to see

• The basilica: Everything in the round church faces the center. Look up at the vast dome fresco by Johann Jakob Zeiller, a swirling crowd of saints in heaven.
• High altar: Its painting of the Assumption of Mary is by Martin Knoller.
• Baroque organ: Built around 1763 by Johann Georg Hörterich and framed by gilded carvings.
• Monastery businesses: Monks have brewed beer here since 1609, and the liqueur manufactory, which grew out of the old monastery pharmacy, makes green and yellow Ettal herbal liqueurs.

Opening hours, tickets and tours

As of October 2026, according to the abbey:

• Basilica: open daily, roughly 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; admission is free. Sightseeing is not possible during services.
• Monastery shop: Monday to Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays and holidays 1:30 to 5 p.m.

Public guided tours are in German. The basilica tour (Monday and Thursday, 3 p.m.) costs €5, the brewery tour with tasting (Tuesday and Friday, 3 p.m.) €12, and the liqueur tour with tasting (Monday and Thursday, 4 p.m.) €9. Children under 12 are free. Groups can book tours of the basilica and the liqueur manufactory in English or French at least two weeks ahead.

How to get to Ettal Abbey

• By car from Munich: Take the A95 autobahn to the Murnau/Kochel exit, then follow the B2 to Oberau and the B23 to Ettal. The drive takes about 1 hour 15 minutes. Parking at the abbey is paid.
• By train: Ride the regional train from Munich toward Garmisch-Partenkirchen and get off at Oberau. Bus 326 takes you to the "Klostergasthof" stop, steps from the abbey. The Deutschlandticket is valid on the train and on local buses.

Is Ettal Abbey worth visiting?

Yes. The basilica is free, takes less than an hour to see, and ranks among the finest Rococo interiors in Bavaria. Pair it with a beer in the monastery tavern. The brewery and liqueur tours involve stairs and are not wheelchair accessible.

Nearby attractions

• Linderhof Palace: The smallest of King Ludwig II's palaces, a short drive west in the Graswang valley.
• Oberammergau: Famous for painted house facades, woodcarvers and the Passion Play.
• Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the Zugspitze: About 20 minutes south.