2 days Stift Heiligenkreuz to savor
This is an Austria vacation to savor with hiking. We take two days for our Heiligenkreuz Abbey Austria and Mayerling Castle hiking tour in the Vienna woods. We visited Heiligenkreuz Abbey in Lower Austria a few years ago. This time we want to deepen our insights behind the scenes of the monastery. We stay in one of the guest rooms in the monastery. In addition, we may take a look at rooms that are not open to the public during this press trip organized by Klösterreich. Our first visit made us curious. This time we get deep insights into life in the Abbey of Heiligenkreuz.

We begin our visit with the monks' prayer in the collegiate church. The Latin choral prayer takes place daily in the abbey church in summer. In winter, the monks meet in the Bernardikapelle. This is one way to listen to the ” Chants of Paradise” * (ad) of the Cistercian monks from Heiligenkreuz Abbey. They are world famous for this. They have stormed the world charts with their CDs.
Father John Paul Chavanne is responsible for public relations in the monastery. He welcomes us for a simple lunch. This is served in the Gästerefektorium. Two long tables are ready for the monastery guests. Unlike in the St. Paul's Abbey in Lavanttal we do not eat in the refectory of the monks. That would not be feasible for 97 monks, who currently live in Heiligenkreuz Abbey.
Do you like to travel by motorhome?
- The closest campsite to Heiligenkreuz Abbey is Camping in the Vienna Woods. However, there are other campsites in the area. There you can, for example, relax with a meal from the Dutch Oven or on the portable grill . You can also find Dutch oven accessories here.
- Do you want to rent a motorhome? Then you can find booking options here. Or do you prefer to travel with a roof tent on the car? Also the overnight stay in camping tents is possible.
- Be sure to check our packing list for campers to see whether you have packed everything for your motorhome tour.
- Austria has a nationwide network of campsites. There are pitches in all parts of the country. However, you are only allowed to stay a maximum of one night outside of campsites and parking spaces. But be careful: there are additional regional bans (Tyrol, Vienna). Better buy the Camping Guide for Austria * here.
- Why is a folding e-bike useful when camping?
If you purchase via a link marked *, we receive a commission, which we use to run this blog.

Lunch in the guest refectory of Heiligenkreuz Abbey
The food is simple but tasty. This is how I imagine the food in the monastery. For starters, for example, there is cabbage soup. Maria, the cook from near Belgrade, tells us how much she likes working in the monastery. She places a soup pot in the middle of the table. She keeps asking if we like the food. And she reports that she brings her daughter to the monastery every now and then.
We help ourselves. The main meal is potato cookies with garlic cream and coleslaw. Homemade dishes like we cook at home. There's no chi-chi on this table, just healthy home cooking that tastes good.
Lodging
In Heiligenkreuz you can stay overnight directly in the monastery. You can find out how to do this under “Travel organization” at the end of this post. However, there are also other accommodation options nearby:
- Gaaden *
- im Helenental *
- in Alland *
- or in 12 km away Baden b. Vienna*

The monks in Stift Heiligenkreuz
As we did on our last visit to the monastery we will also get to know the life stories of some monks. Father Johannes Paul Chavanne has been at the Cistercian monastery in Heiligenkreuz since 2006. After a stay in India, during which he worked with street children, he first studied law in Vienna. After entering the monastery, however, he switched to theology. He has been the chaplain for the Olympic and Paralympic Games since 2013. As such, he attended, for example, the games in Sochi/Russia 2014, Rio de Janeiro/Brazil 2016 and Pyeong Chang/South Korea 2018. At dinner, he finally tells us about his trip to Ethiopia. He shows us photos of a visit to a men's monastery that can only be reached via climbing ropes. “Women are not allowed there,” he says, looking at me and our companion Elena Paschinger from Creativelena and Angelica Mandler-Saul from Wiederunterwegs.
The guest master of the abbey also surprises me. He tells us that he worked in IT before his time as a monk. Brother Isaak Maria, a novice, reports how he spends his free time: “I like going swimming now and then. This is particularly pleasant in the summer months. We just have to log out,” he laughs. When I asked what was the reason for him to enter the monastery, he replied: “Living in community with the other monks.”

Art and architecture in Stift Heiligenkreuz
Finally, it is Brother Isaak Maria who leads us through the collegiate church and the monastery. The Cistercian monastery has existed without interruption since it was founded in 1133. Along with Heiligenkreuz monastery, only Rein monastery can claim this. However, this is a little older.
The monastery is built in the form of a square courtyard. One wing is reserved for the monks. This is where their accommodation is located. Part of the garden is exclusively accessible to them. “We find peace there even during the day,” explains Brother Isaak Maria. The sacristy is also located in this wing. The Cistercians keep church vestments in their cupboards. Brother Isaak Maria shows us one of them.

We visit the cloister and the chapter house where the last Babenbergs are buried. The fountain is the heart of the monastery. It is located in the cloister, from which we have a view of the garden. “This symbolizes paradise,” explains Brother Isaak Maria. He is right. It actually has that effect on us with its roses.
The manuscript chamber
Father Roman shows us the monastery's manuscript chamber. They are the reason why we are visiting the monastery this time. For centuries, monks have written on parchment sheets with illuminations in the monastery's scriptorium. However, these treasures can only be accessed through a steel door. There they are protected from daylight.

Modern Times in Stift Heiligenkreuz
Father Johannes Paul shows us that Heiligenkreuz Abbey does not only manage historical values, but has also arrived in the modern age. He leads us through the theological college. This is located in the former monastery farm. It is an educational institution for theologians and has even been a “university of pontifical law” since 2007. Pope Benedict XVI has awarded this title. The university has borne his name ever since. Lecture halls, a study library and a seminary offer an environment in which studying is fun.
But teaching is not everything in this part of the monastery. Studio 1133 is also located here. This film studio is equipped with the latest technology. Mass from the monastery is broadcast live here. Interviews with high church representatives are also filmed in the studio. But the abbey is also present on social media. Particular emphasis is placed on interactivity. On Tuesday it's time to open Facebook”We pray for you”. By Tweet participants can submit their wishes. And the monks pray live in front of the camera.

Hiking on the Via Sacra
The hikers among you can walk from Stift Heiligenkreuz to Mayerling, three kilometers away. The trail follows Austria's oldest pilgrimage route, the Via Sacrawhich leads in its full length from Vienna to Mariazell. On the short section between Heiligenkreuz and Mayerling, you will mainly go through forest regions of the Vienna Woods. For the route you need a good hour.

At your destination in Mayerling, the former hunting lodge of the Austrian Crown Prince Rudolf awaits you. The son of the Austrian Empress Elisabeth died there on January 30, 1889, along with his lover Mary Vetsera. The exact circumstances of their death are still unclear to this day. It is definitely a tragedy. Today you can take a look at the hunting lodge and the garden pavilion with an audio guide.
Handy for the hike
- We recommend hiking boots for the hike. At Heiligenkreuz Abbey you can hike on the Via Sacra.
- Practical for traveling is a backpackin which you store a drink, snack, your picnic accessories as well as a jacket and other odds and ends.
- A lunch box with board and other practical things for hiking can be found here.
- Find suitable walking shoes for wide feet here
- Check our hiking checklistwhether you have packed everything you need for a hike
Pure enjoyment in the Klostergasthof
After our return to Heiligenkreuz Abbey, we take a break at the monastery inn. The day before we had dinner in the beer garden under the linden trees. The trees are currently in full bloom and exude a beguiling scent. In the midday heat they donate exactly the shade that we want. With a glass of elderberry syrup with soda and citron, we refresh ourselves after our visit to Mayerling. While we wait for our lunch, we enjoy the view of the abbey again and watch the comings and goings that take place there.
The menu promises specialties from the Vienna Woods. There is a seasonal menu that currently offers various dishes with fresh chanterelles. I choose chanterelles with Bohemian dumplings. Petar takes a sausage salad. For dessert, there is the Klosterschnitte (monastery cream slices), the house specialty. But how big can that actually be? It definitely exceeds all of our expectations – both in taste and in quantity. But see for yourself:

Our conclusion: the perfect travel destination for foodies and hikers
If, like us, you like to look behind the scenes on your travels and are looking for peace and quiet, you will find a perfect travel destination for two days in Heiligenkreuz Abbey as well as in Mayerling. In the middle of the Vienna Woods, the Cistercian Monastery offers a place of silence and contemplation. Art as well as culture in this monastery go back to the 12th century. The monks of the monastery treat their guests with great hospitality. A visit to Heiligenkreuz Abbey is a very special experience.
Travel Arrangements:
Address
Stift Heiligenkreuz
Holy Cross 1
2532 Heiligenkreuz in the Wienerwald
Parking at the airport
Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.
Arrival at Heiligenkreuz Abbey
Compare and book flights here* (advertisement). The nearest airport is Vienna Schwechat. Heiligenkreuz can also be easily reached by bus or train from Vienna, via Baden or via Mödling.
- Bus & Train: www.vor.at
- Bus: www.postbus.at
- Train: www.oebb.at
The most convenient way is definitely to travel by car. You can book a rental car here.
Accommodation near Heiligenkreuz Abbey:
Heiligenkreuz Abbey offers overnight accommodation in the monastery for guests who are seriously interested in life in the monastery. Participation in church services and prayer sessions is desired.
There are also three hostels with bunk beds.
If you don't want that, you can find accommodation here, for example
- Gaaden *
- im Helenental *
- in Alland *
- or in 12 km away Baden b. Vienna*
If you book through one of these offers, we receive a commission, which we use to run this blog.
Dates:
Guides:
Daily: Mon - Sat, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16; So 11, 14, 15, 16 clock.
Church service:
Holy Mass on Sundays and public holidays
Sa 18.35; So 8.30, 9.30 (Convention Fair), 11.00, 18.45 watch
Holy Mass on weekdays
Daily: 6.25 Clock Convention Fair, 18.45 Parish Fair
Prayer of the monks:
In summer in the abbey church, in winter in the Bernardikapelle
Daily. 5.15 vigils; 6.00 Lauds, weekdays 6.25 Convention Fair (Sundays 9.30 Convention Fair)
12.00 third and sixth, 12.55 Non; 18.00 Vespers; 19.45 Compline; 20.10 Rosary (Kreuzkirche)
Klostergasthof Heiligenkreuz:
Specialties from the Wienerwald. No rest day except Christday.
Other destinations in the Vienna Woods
- The mystery by Mayerling
- Summer in Baden near Vienna
- The pleasure mile in Gumpoldskirchen
- Other destinations in the Vienna woods here.

Do you know this?
- the Benedictine monastery in Stein am Rhein in Switzerland
- Visit churches, monasteries, cathedrals
- Vyssi Brod and its monastery
- Finance Holiday - Travel Blogger Tips
- Gifts for hikers
More tips for Trips to Savor and Slow Travel can be found under these links. Or do you want more about instead Monasteries & churches experience? Are you also interested in this one? Hiking tip for Stift Lilienfeld and the Muckenkogel in Lower Austria?
Source Hiking at Heiligenkreuz Abbey: own research on site at the invitation of Klösterreich and Heiligenkreuz Abbey. However, our opinion remains unaffected.
Text Hiking at Heiligenkreuz Abbey: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos Kloster Stift Heiligenkreuz Austria: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Video: Heiligenkreuz Monastery Austria © Copyright Petar Fuchs and TWO
Normally you do not get me lured by the chimney with theology, but I already found the personal story of Father John Paul Chavanne interesting. Well, and still the monastery cream slices ... there is the whole thing then synonymous interesting for me;)
Regards
Nicole
Dear Nicole,
we are not religious either. We are fascinated by the monasteries because of their history and the works of art they often own. Since we often visit monasteries, we have always looked a little behind the scenes, and life there is often very different from what is commonly imagined. This is particularly interesting for Heiligenkreuz Abbey. Not to mention the monastery cream slices…
Best regards,
Monika
Dear Monika, Dear Petar,
it is certainly exciting to visit a monastery. I would also like to experience that. Great that there are parchment scrolls to admire ... I would also like the hike.
Best regards,
Ricarda
Dear Ricarda,
that is really something else. The parchment rolls also impressed us. And if you like hiking, there are even more opportunities in the region.
Best regards,
Monika
Very nicely processed, because I can look something (and I will) - thanks! lg from the Weinviertel.
Angelika
Liebe Angelika,
It was nice in Heiligenkreuz Abbey, right?
Best regards,
Monika