Altzella Monastery in Saxony
There is not much left of Altzella Monastery. At first I'm a little disappointed when we parked in the monastery parking lot Saxony arrive. In front of us I see a few houses that remind me more of a farm. I would never have thought of a monastery if I did not know that we are in the right place. However, this impression changes quickly as we walk through one of the monastery buildings that is still standing. Behind it we come into a romantic world.
A monastery in Saxony - Medieval Romanticism
We have long been fascinated by monasteries. In recent years we have visited monasteries a lot. In contrast to the monastery complexes that we know so far, the Altzella monastery is largely a ruined monastery. In any case, most of the ruins are in the forest or in the monastery park. But this is exactly what makes the monastery so charming.
As soon as we leave the main building, the Middle Ages cast a spell over us. Ancient tree giants provide shade in the summer heat. Narrow paths lead through the forest. Weathered stone walls protrude behind the bushes. However, it is no longer possible to see what was once in it. A dormitory of the monks? The refectory? Or a stable for the cattle? We do not know it. In any case, the ruins look like witnesses from a sunken world. A stone staircase leads under the ruins. We follow her and finally get to a wine cellar. “People still celebrate here today,” explains Koreen Vetter, who leads us through the monastery garden.
We leave the forest and turn to the large meadow below the monastery buildings that have been preserved. There is also a half-dilapidated building on it. "The Cistercian monks once used this as a camp," says Koreen. Here they sold their products to dealers. Except for the outer walls and a well-preserved gable, there is nothing left of it. A stone cross at the top of the gable testifies to the monastic past of the building. For me it is one of the most romantic buildings in the complex. I like to believe Koreen when she says that wedding couples like to say yes.
In the monastery garden of Altzella
We meet Koreen for a reason. Years ago, she set herself the task of cultivating the old monastery garden. But she gets up early every morning and spends an hour in the herb garden of the monastery. Then she sows weeds and looks to see which of her many herbs are ready for harvest. She has a lot of that. Rosemary, basil, oregano, marjoram are just as much as various mint varieties or lemon balm. However, she does not only know the usual culinary herbs.
On our way through the meadow, Koreen stoops again and again, picks an inconspicuous plant and holds it out to us. "Do you like to go hiking? You will always have a blister on your foot. Then just take the leaves of this plant on the way, rub it between your fingers and apply it to the wound. After a few minutes it doesn't hurt anymore. ”Several bushes grow on the wall of the monastery garden. Koreen walks up to it and puts the small fruits in her mouth. "Go ahead!" She laughs. "You can eat them." And indeed! What I had previously regarded as non-edible berries turned out to be a sugar-sweet delicacy. “You only need a lot of time if you want to make jam out of it,” giggles Koreen. "It takes a long time to collect the necessary amount of berries."
Gather herbs in the monastery garden
However, we do not intend to make jam. Instead, we visit the herb garden to gather herbs that we need for our lunch. We are in Altzella Monastery to learn more about the herbal cuisine. This works best when we cook with herbs ourselves.
Together with our blogger colleagues we cook a three-course menu in which herbs play the main role. The menu includes pea and herb waffles, a strawberry chia dessert and a mint and mango smoothie.
Koreen Vetter now not only looks after the herb garden. She also offers herbal cooking classes in the monastery kitchen. Therefore, we follow your instructions and collect herbs that we need for these dishes. Petar and I are preparing the mint-mango smoothie. For this we cut off some branches of lemon mint. The peppermint tea from fresh peppermint Koreen has prepared before we arrived. This must take some time, so that he takes on the intense aroma of mint. All other ingredients are waiting for us in the monastery kitchen.
It's fun to harvest the fresh ingredients in the garden. It also goes perfectly with the culinary experiments that we have started this year with herbs from our own herb garden. Therefore, the suggestions are just right for us.
Mint herb smoothie from the monastery garden
Back in the monastery kitchen, we cut the mango into bite-sized pieces. We pluck the leaves of the lemon mint from the stalks and cut them into strips. We puree the mixture together with the previously prepared peppermint tea, some sugar, a finely chopped orange and a cup of Greek yoghurt. Then ours Mint herbal smoothie finished.
The others need a little longer to prepare their food. Are the recipes for their dishes a bit more complex? After a few minutes, all the food is finally ready. With a lot of fun, we cooked a herb menu for a summer lunch in a short time and then enjoyed together. With us, the mint herbal smoothie is now regularly at home.
Do you like to travel by motorhome?
- Do you want to rent a motorhome? Then you will find information and a selection in these booking options here. Rent a motorhome or a camper near you here. Or would you prefer to stay overnight in a roof tent on the car? Also the overnight stay in camping tents is possible.
- Check our packing list for campers to see whether you have packed everything for your motorhome tour.
- You can spend the night near the monastery at Reinsberg campsite, Badstraße 17, 09629 Reinsberg. But there are other campsites near Kloster Altzella. There you can after a day trip in a Dutch Oven or on the portable grill or maybe on a campfire . You can also find Dutch oven accessories here.
- Practical accessories for the mobile home you can also find here.
- Why is a folding e-bike useful when camping?
You need this for a visit to the Altzella Monastery
- Comfortable shoes, in which you can safely walk on meadows and forest floors.
- An Water bottle *, because it gets very hot on the way in summer.
- A backpack, where you can store everything you need for your stay. If you are planning a longer hike, there is also one backpack useful.
- picnic Accessories, because you can do well on the meadow below the monastery snack . make
If you purchase via a link marked *, we receive a commission, which we use to run this blog.
Travel Arrangements
Altzella Monastery
Zellaer St. 10
01683 Nossen
Koreen's cousin
Tel. 0172 / 2353705 or
Tel 035241 / 817570
Parking at the airport
Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.
Arrival to the Altzella monastery
For example, book yours here Arrival by plane, bus or train*.
By car to Altzella Monastery:
- A 14 (Leipzig - Dresden)
Exit Nossen-Nord, follow the signs to Nossen - A 4 (Chemnitz - Dresden)
Exit Siebenlehn, direction Nossen, follow the signs - B101 (Meißen - Freiberg)
- B 175 (Döbeln - Nossen)
- S36 (Waldheim - Nossen)
With public transport to the Altzella monastery
- Bus line 424 (Dresden - Altzella)
- Bus line 418 / 412 (Meissen - Nossen) - only goes to market Nossen, then change or walk
Accomodation
Hotels in and around Nossen * In the area around Altzella Monastery you can also book online at booking.com.
Do you know this?
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- Mostviertel Austria
- Discover palaces and castles
- Waldviertel Austria
- Three destinations in March, April and May
- Planning trips - that's how it works with us
Other Slow Travel Tips is also available here.
Source Altzella Monastery: On-site research at the invitation of Schloesserland Sachsen. However, our opinion remains our own.
Text Altzella Monastery: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Video: © Copyright Petar Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Hello you two,
I would have liked that too! Together with other bloggers prepare a meal, I imagine that funny. The comfrey tip is great, because this plant grows with us again and again! I love ruins and in combination with herbalism and cooking (eating) that was for sure a perfect trip.
Best regards,
Elena
Dear Elena,
you're right. We have often cooked with other bloggers. This is always a great hike. I did not know comfrey until our visit to Altzella Monastery. But that happens to me often. About plants that I see on the lawn, I know next to nothing. That's why I always find it particularly fascinating to hike through nature with herbalists. You suddenly see them with completely different eyes.
Best regards,
Monika
Hello you two,
There you had a nice day. I also really liked the old trees around the monastery ruins. Do you remember how the herb was called against blisters? I'd be very interested in that.
Best regards,
Anne
Hello Anne,
Yes, we were really lucky with the weather. If I remember correctly, the medicinal herb was comfrey: http://www.apotheken-umschau.de/heilpflanzen/beinwell
Best regards,
Monika
Hi monika,
the ruins have something. Somehow mysterious right?
Incidentally, the smoothie looks delicious too !! mmmhhh yummie!
Best regards,
Saskia
Hello Saskia,
thank you very much. Yes, I also think that the place has something enchanted. Only the smoothie should have been in a jar. Then he would have looked even more appetizing. He definitely tasted great.
Best regards,
Monika
If we look at your “herbal list” like this, there is still a lot to do in our mini herb collection on the balcony. thank you for the inspiration
Haha, and we are already thinking about which herbs we should replenish our herbal garden next year.
Oh, this monastery would be to my liking. On the one hand because of the old ruins - I love all kinds of ruins - and on the other because of the herbs. Am a total fan of naturopathy. I will try the mint herbal smoothie immediately after I buy Greek yogurt.
Best regards,
Michaela
Dear Michaela,
The smoothie is also available regularly this summer :) Let me know how he tastes you. And as far as herbs are concerned, we will learn more with each herbal walk, every herbal course and every herbal recipe. This is a really exciting area - and most of all - the herbs are just great! Especially when they come fresh from the garden. We are already planning what we can plant in our herb bed next year.
Best regards,
Monika
Ruins inspire me again and again. Also in the transience can be so much charm and I always wonder what these walls have probably experienced everything.
Best regards,
Sabine
Liebe Sabine
that's what happens to me as well. Especially in places like this, I am always aware of how much history has influenced us to this day.
Best regards,
Monika
The ruin could just as well be in Scotland, I think. :)
...... the recipe for the pea and herb waffles you probably do not come out, right? : D
Dear Julia,
yes, I thought so too. The ruins immediately reminded me of the monastery ruins in Ireland and Scotland. :) Unfortunately, I do not have the recipe for the pea and herb waffles myself.
Best regards,
Monika
Hello you two,
great as a medicinal herb can always be good use. I wish I knew more about all the effects. He also looks great in the garden. I would say despite sparse monastery wall, the visit was worthwhile.
Regards
Victoria
Dear Victoria,
definitely. We've met herbal women before. It is always interesting how much healing they know about the effects of individual herbs. Most interesting, however, was the cooking class, because we can now use these recipes at home.
Best regards,
Monika
The smoothie recipe sounds great.
It also tastes much better if you have collected some of the ingredients yourself. :-)
Is a nice combination with the monastery tour and the herbs gathering.
LG Sandra
Dear Sandra,
We also like this smoothie very much. This is already several times with us.
Best regards,
Monika
Since then I have been to Saxony several times and still find wonderful corners that I would like to visit :-) Monasteries are also fascinatingly beautiful, especially the cloisters - provided that there is still some of it preserved.
As far as the rumors were monks the best gardeners, if the herb gardens are still laid out as in ancient times, I can vividly imagine how delicious the food was at the end!
Best regards,
Maria
Hi Mary,
There is no cloister in Altzella Monastery anymore. The buildings are already falling for this. Instead, the scents in the monastery garden were all the more intense.
Best regards,
Monika
The monastery is really a dream - could imagine also to marry there ;-) The idea with the herbs I find great, something I have to do soon. You do not even believe what's in the fragrant plants
Dear Christine,
that herbs are great, we also find. You discover completely new taste experiences :) And they are still healthy!
Best regards,
Monika
This looks gorgeous and herbal walks I always think great. Because you always find out, you do not have to starve outside :-)
And also things planted in the monastery often grow along the wayside.
Can one actually stay in the monastery?
Greetings Katja
Dear Katja,
it was not exactly a herbal walk. The way was too short for that. We just walked across the meadow and Koreen discovered edible herbs everywhere. The herb garden was all the more beautiful. You can not sleep in this monastery. It is no longer inhabited, but is only used for events.
Best regards,
Monika