Waldsassen Basilica

The Waldsassen Basilica (Stiftsbasilika Waldsassen) is a lavish Baroque church in the small town of Waldsassen in northeastern Bavaria, just a few miles from the Czech border. Built for a powerful Cistercian monastery, it surprises visitors with ornate stucco, painted ceilings, a huge organ complex and ten jeweled skeletons of early Christian "catacomb saints." If you are exploring Bavaria's quieter corners or traveling between Germany and Bohemia, it is well worth the detour.

A Short History

Waldsassen was the first Cistercian foundation in Bavaria, settled around 1133 by monks from Volkenroda in Thuringia. The abbey grew into an Imperial Abbey that controlled the surrounding "Stiftland." The current church was rebuilt in High Baroque style from 1685, with Abraham Leuthner and Georg Dientzenhofer named as master builders, and consecrated in 1704.

After secularization in 1803 the monastery buildings were sold and used for industry, while the church served the parish. Cistercian nuns returned in 1864 and still live in the abbey today. Pope Paul VI raised the church to a minor basilica in 1969, and a recent interior restoration brought back its original Baroque color scheme.

What to See Inside

• The nave: about 82 meters (270 feet) long, decorated with stucco by Giovanni Battista Carlone and frescoes by the Prague painter Johann Jakob Steinfels.
• The "Holy Bodies": ten full-body relics of catacomb saints, dressed in gold, silver and jewels by lay brother Adalbert Eder between 1707 and 1765. They are displayed along the nave and are the church's most unusual sight.
• The organs: the Jann organ complex has 104 stops; the main organ alone has around 7,720 pipes.
• High altar and choir stalls: a marble Annunciation group by Karl Stilp and richly carved choir stalls by Martin Hirsch.
• The crypt: described by the local tourist office as Germany's largest church and monastery crypt, open on group tours.

Opening Hours and Tours

As a working parish church, the basilica is open during the day; travel guides give daily from 7:30 a.m. until dusk. Avoid service times (Saturday 6 p.m., Sunday 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m.). From Easter through October, public guided tours in German run Tuesdays at 3 p.m. and Fridays at 11:30 a.m., cost €4 per person and last about 45 minutes (as of October 2026). English-language tours are not advertised, so ask the tourist office in advance if you need one.

Note that the abbey's famous library hall is currently closed to regular visitors while it is being restored. The nuns offer an alternative guided walk called "Klosterkosmos" covering the grounds and church; tickets are sold in the abbey shop.

How to Get There

Waldsassen no longer has a passenger train station. The nearest Deutsche Bahn stations are Marktredwitz (on the Nuremberg–Hof line), Wiesau and Arzberg; regional bus 8313 connects Marktredwitz with Waldsassen. The Deutschlandticket is valid on these regional trains and buses. By car, take the A93 and exit at Mitterteich-Süd. The tourist office sits in the town hall directly opposite the basilica.

Is It Worth Visiting?

Yes, if you enjoy Baroque art or want to see a side of Bavaria few international visitors reach. Allow one to two hours for the church; add the monastery garden (May to early October), the Stiftland Museum a short walk away, and the Dientzenhofer pilgrimage church at Kappl, about 3 km outside town, to fill a relaxed half day. The nuns sing public Vespers daily at 5:30 p.m.