Excursion destinations in Styria - Rein Monastery and Maria Straßengel

Excursion destinations in Styria - Rein Monastery and Maria Straßengel

These are excursion destinations in Styria, whose history goes back to the 12th century: Here you can spend a holiday in Austria with hiking for connoisseurs. Stift Rein and Maria Strassengel. Rein Abbey is our first destination. Next to Stift Heiligenkreuz and Stift Lilienfeld it is one of the Cistercian monasteries in Austria. When we visit the monastery and the pilgrimage church Maria Straßengel, we get an insight into the beginnings of Styria. And not only that! There is a lot to discover in and around Rein Monastery.

 

 

Rein Abbey - the oldest Cistercian monastery in the world

I look in awe at the rough stones and mortar that date back to the 12th century. We are in the yard of Stift Rein, one of Styria's excursion destinations with a lot of history. Here we are in the oldest part of the monastery. You can see that. The cloister of the abbey was once located here. Nothing can be seen today. Rather, it has disappeared under earth deposits that have accumulated over centuries. We can only see a few architectural references to the long history of the monastery. In addition to a round arch from the Romanesque period, we recognize a pointed arch from the Gothic period. However, we can no longer use these doors. They disappear into over a meter of earth that blocks access.

 

 

The monastery is considered the oldest Cistercian monastery in the world. I wonder. Because Robert de Molesme founded the order in 1075 in the monastery of the same name in France. Robert de Molesme originally belonged to the Benedictine order. However, the splendor in Cluny Abbey went too far for him. His ideal of monastic life was a simple life isolated from the world. This went so far that even life in Molesme was too pompous for him. So he moved on to the Citeaux region, where he founded a new monastery. The order owes its name to this.

 

 

 

The landscape around Rein Abbey is shaped by the Cistercians

If you look deeper, it turns out that Rein Monastery was the 38th monastery of the monastic order. However, the first 37 Cistercian monasteries have been dissolved or abandoned over the centuries. This makes the Stift am Ulrichsberg in Styria the oldest Cistercian monastery in the world today. Margrave Leopold the Strong from Steyr brought Cistercian monks from Ebrach Abbey in Franconia to Styria. The abbey is still remote in nature. With its surroundings, it is one of the destinations in Styria that guarantee a pleasant stay. A hike on the Prälatenweg (the prelate path) gives you an impression of the seclusion of the abbey.

 

 

A tunnel through the Ulrichsberg proves how successfully the monks used the landscape. The abbey lies at the intersection of two valleys. The water in the Kehrerbach turned out to be too weak to drive the water wheel of the abbey mill. The monks then pierced the mountain that separates the stream from the longer Mühlgraben valley. They diverted the water through this tunnel and were able to use their mill successfully. The use of their monastery lands still plays a role in Rein Monastery. This is shown by the hiking trails, which are available for every condition. For example, what do you think of a hike on the barefoot path through the Mühlbach Valley?

 

 

 

Baroque abbey architecture in Rein Abbey

The homage hall

The highlight of a visit to the Rein Abbey are the baroque buildings and paintings. Our hosts, P. August Janisch and P. Prior Martin Höfler welcome us with a snack in the homage hall. The ceiling and wall paintings by Josef Amonte take my breath away. That was also the purpose of this magnificent hall. It should impress guests and visitors. Here the abbot received clerks and his subjects.

 

The collegiate church

A Romanesque church originally stood in its place. Of this, only the entrance area is preserved. Today's collegiate church goes back to Abbot Placidus Mally, who had the new baroque church built in 1738 to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the monastery. It has been a minor basilica since 1979. Josef Adam Mölk painted the frescoes in 1766. The ceiling paintings show episodes from the life of St. Benedict, St. Bernhard von Clairvaux and the Holy Family.

 

The Marienkapelle and the summer choir

We follow P. August on his tour of the monastery to the Marienkapelle. There he shows us the grave of the founding founder Margrave Leopold von Steyr. It was he who brought 1129 monks from Ebrach Monastery to Styria. His grave was only discovered during restoration work in recent years. Examinations of his bones show that this man has spent a lot of time on horseback in the course of his life. At the same time, his shoulder bones indicate that he had put a lot of strain on them. Knight games? Or even in battle? Science agrees that the skeleton that can be seen in the Marienkapelle is Margrave Leopold.

We reach the summer choir via a steep staircase that shows their age. The monks of the monastery meet here every day at midday for the midday shore. With these prayers they interrupt the daily work routine. These are times of reflection in the spirit of the Benedictine rule "Ora et labora" (pray and work).

 

 

The Abbey Library

The Abbey Abbey library is well worth seeing. This is the youngest building of the baroque abbey. The monastery holds 80.000 books. The frescoes on the ceiling date from 1753 and were painted by Josef Amonte. In a display case, we see writings that the monks once created by hand in the scriptorium of the abbey. Some of them are badly damaged by time. Others have been bound in wood and leather covers. Visitors can become book sponsors and donate to receive a book.

 

 

Other treasures in the Abbey Library include the calendar by Johannes Kepler, who worked as a landscape mathematician in Graz from 1594 to 1600. He created both the Julian and Gregorian calendars, which are located at the center of the library. Also worth seeing is a hymn book from 1420, created in the Abbey's scriptorium. The "Antiphonal" is well preserved. One clearly sees the skillful writing skills of the monks in creating their works.

 

 

Keys of Mercy in the monastery shop of Stift Rein

In addition to the monastery's products, we discover something surprising in the monastery shop. The monks sell "keys of mercy" there. I hadn't encountered this term before during our visits to the monastery. Father August explains it to us. In the past, the faithful were only allowed to enter the abbey church on Key Sunday, the first Sunday after Easter. The Pope had granted the church many indulgences, which benefited its visitors on the church's consecration day.

Starting in 1479, Pope Sixtus IV permitted the faithful to visit the church on Grace Sunday. The celebration was later moved to the first Sunday after Easter. Only on this day were the faithful allowed to enter the monastery and church. Confessors were granted special powers for this special day. As a memento of their visit, visitors were given small silver keys, the “keys of mercy.” When the collegiate church finally became a parish church in 1786, this custom was abandoned. Only a few years ago, “keys of mercy” were minted again.

 

 

Savoring the Abbey of Stift Rein

Following the tour of the abbey, we visit the abbey tavern. We then enjoy lunch in the beer garden of the abbey guesthouse under ancient deciduous trees. Pork medallions with mushroom cream sauce and spaetzle, along with baked trout, taste particularly delicious after so much culture and history.

Pilgrimage church Maria Strassengel - high Gothic in Austria

It is only a few minutes by car from Rein Monastery to the Maria Straßengel pilgrimage church. This lies on a rock spur above the village of Gratwein-Straßengel. I had never heard of this pilgrimage church before our visit. I was all the more surprised when I saw the high Gothic buildings towering over the valley. What a sight! No wonder pilgrims were drawn to this place. The church is particularly impressive, with its 48-meter tower it is a prime example of high Gothic.

 

 

Founding Maria Straßengel

Maria Straßengel is one of the most important sacred buildings of high Gothic in Austria. The current church dates back to 1346, when Abbot Hartwig von Rein laid the foundation stone for the construction of the Gothic church. There was already a chapel at this point, which the Rein Monastery probably had built in 1157. The reason for this was that Margrave Otakar III. gave the monastery a portrait of Mary. He brought this with him from a pilgrimage from Palestine. It is said to be a copy of an image of St. Mary by Evangelist Luke. A story in the side chapel of the church shows this story.

 

 

Whether the image of Mary actually came from Palestine is controversial. Today, however, you won't find it in Maria Straßengel, because it was stolen in 1976. The picture that adorns the high altar today is a copy of Gottfried Höfler, the father of P. Martin Höfler, the prior of Stift Rein.

The Root Cross of Maria Strassengel

There is another reason why pilgrims are drawn to Maria Straßengel. In 1255 a shepherd saw some cattle behaving strangely under a fir tree. When he checked, he discovered a root that looks like Jesus crucified. Beard, face and hair are clearly visible. Likewise the body and the feet, which are on top of each other. Plant physiologists found that the figure is not carved but grew out of the root. I'm always very skeptical about such things, but the cross is one of the reasons why people still make pilgrimages to Maria Straßengel today.

 

 

Gothic stained glass window

Also worth seeing are the Gothic stained-glass windows behind the main altar. This is no longer original. This is due to the fact that Emperor Joseph II (1780-1790) banned pilgrimages. In Maria Straßengel, this even led to the church being demolished. The altar fell victim to this period. It wasn't until the church's 700th anniversary that a change was finally brought about. While it had almost fallen into disrepair until then, it can now be seen again, at least in parts, in its former glory. Pilgrims still come to Maria Straßengel today.

 

 

Gothic reliefs above the church entrances

What I like best is Maria Straßengel from the outside. Two Gothic reliefs above the entrances are very well preserved. The church tower is particularly impressive, with its openwork top reminiscent of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. It is therefore popularly called “little Steffel”.

 

 

The Probstei and the Rauchkuchl

The Probsteig building dates from 1494. Today it houses the parish office. The Rauchkuchl (smokers kitchen), which is located in this building, is worth seeing. Abbot P. Philipp Helm shows us that the chimney extends over several floors. The walls are charred by the smoke with which the Prostei chefs have smoked and preserved their food for centuries. There is a tavern opposite the provost. However, it was closed during our visit. After visiting the pilgrimage church, you can still enjoy the view of the surroundings.

Two excursion destinations in Styria for a weekend

Our tip: Rein Abbey, the surrounding hiking trails, and the Maria Straßengel pilgrimage church are perfect for a weekend getaway. Here, you can sense the history that shaped this landscape, the monastery, and the pilgrimage church. With a little leisure, you can transport yourself to times long past and immerse yourself in the lives of monks, knights, and shepherds. Rein Abbey and the Maria Straßengel pilgrimage church transported us back to a bygone era.

 

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Travel Arrangements:

Parking at the airport

Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.

How to reach it

Compare and book flights here*. (Advertisement) The nearest airport is in Graz (15km). Rein Abbey is 15 km away. It is also easy to reach by car.

The most convenient way is definitely to travel by car. You can book a rental car here.

Accommodations:

Accommodation in and around Rein Monastery * You can find it for example under this link.

If you book via a link marked *, we receive a commission, which we use to run this blog.

Guided tours in Stift Rein:

Guided tours daily at 10:30 am and 13:30 pm ... and for groups daily between 9:00 am and 17:00 pm with registration.

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More tips for Trips to Savor as well as for Slow Travel you can find under these links.

 

 

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Rein and Maria Strassengel Abbey - Excursion destinations in Styria: On-site research at the invitation of Monastery empireWe sincerely thank you for this. However, our opinion remains unaffected.

Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos of excursion destinations in Styria: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Video: © Copyright Petar Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline