Lilienfeld Abbey with abbey library, monastery & gallery

Stift Lilienfeld in Lower Austria

The Lilienfeld Abbey in Mostviertel with the abbey library, monastery and gallery promises a surprising visit. Surprised? Why? We're experiencing one here Time out in a monasterythat transports us to another time. The pen in Lower Austria goes back to the year 1202. Cistercian Holy cross were the first people to live in the monastery. The signs of the times are obvious. The steps to the guest wing of the monastery are skewed by the many feet that went over it. In many places you notice the age of the building. However, if one learns what belongs to the pen, it is no wonder that money for cosmetic repairs is scarce. The pen includes the collegiate complex, huts, Parish churches and parsonages. The monastery finances the preservation of these buildings. A mammoth task that the income from forest, hunting, fishing and guest care pay for.

Stift Lilienfeld in autumn © Copyright Harald Schmid

Do you like to travel by motorhome?

The closest campsite to Stift Lilienfeld is Terraces Camping Traisen. There are other campsites in the area. There you can after a day trip in a Dutch Oven or on the portable grill . You can also find Dutch oven accessories here.
Do you want to rent a motorhome? Then you will find information and here booking options. Or do you like to travel with 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.
Austria has a comprehensive network of campsites, there are parking spaces in all parts of the country. Outside of camping and parking spaces, you can stay overnight for a maximum of one night. But be careful: there are regional bans (Tyrol, Vienna). Camping Guide for Austria * you can buy it 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.

The collegiate gallery

The treasures that await us in the monastery building are all the more astonishing. Abbot Matthäus Nimmervoll personally takes time for us. First he takes us to the monastery's picture gallery. Full of humor, he introduces us to the people who can be seen in the pictures. Paintings depicting emperors and kings hang on the walls here and in the guest refectory. Among them is Duke Leopold IV of Austria and Styria. He founded the monastery. We recognize Empress Maria Theresa as well as Queen Victoria of England. The gallery contains 240 paintings and a copper engraving collection of 200 engravings.

The collegiate archive

This wealth of cultural treasures is shown again in the monastery archives. Archivist Irene Rabl is reverently presenting a manuscript by Empress Maria Theresia to the monastery. Carefully she opens the document. She gently strokes the ribbon that holds the writing together. Stift Lilienfeld presents his Manuscripts from the Middle Ages available online for research. But as much as I like to rummage through this online collection of scriptures, the monastery's library impresses me more.

The Abbey Library

Because of the valuable scriptures, it is not accessible to everyone. We too are only allowed to look at them through glass walls. These protect access to these works. Still, the library takes my breath away. It is the work of lay brothers. 40.000 volumes, 120 incunabula and 229 manuscripts are stored on its shelves. A treasure for everyone who loves books and old manuscripts. The frame in which the writings are kept is also impressive. The monastery library dates back to the 13th century. The hall library was built around 1700 under Abbot Sigmund Braun. Libraries like these were primarily used for representation. The books were locked in cabinets or provided with uniform spines. That way they looked more attractive.

Collegiate church and monastery

The collegiate church dates from the foundation of the monastery. It is a pillar basilica. The entrance portal also dates from the end of the Romanesque period. The interior design goes back to the Baroque. Late Baroque goes into Rococo. Worth seeing is also the monastery. Its cloister is one of the largest in Austria. A fire destroyed 1810 a large part of the monastery. The fountain house is therefore from the year 1886.

You best get to know Stift Lilienfeld on a guided tour. That's the only way you can get into all public spaces.

Guides daily from 8 - 11 watch and 14 - 16.30 watch
(on Sundays and public holidays by appointment)

Stay overnight at Lilienfeld Abbey

We spend the night in the guest wing of the monastery. There are rooms with private shower and rooms with sanitary facilities in the corridor. Breakfast is served together. Lunch and dinner you can not in the monastery Lilienfeld. We drove to it with the chairlift to Klosteralm on the Muckenkogel, Lilienfeld's local mountain. Hiking in Austria is fun here.

Travel Arrangements

Parking at the airport

Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.

Arrival by plane and/or car to Lilienfeld Abbey

For example, book your journey by flight, bus or train*. The nearest airport is Vienna. From there you then travel by car. Travel time from Vienna to Lilienfeld is about 1 hour. From Munich one drives 4 hours, from Salzburg sowie von Graz about 2,5 hours.

Rental car to Lilienfeld Abbey:

Cheap rental cars - book here! *

Accommodation at Lilienfeld Abbey:

For example, book yours here Accommodation* in Lilienfeld. It is also possible to stay overnight in the monastery. Register via this email: pforte@stift-lilienfeld.at

Travel Guide:

111 places in the Mostviertel that you have to see *

Stift Lilienfeld — Click on the photo and then save the post on Pinterest.

Do you know this?

We would definitely like to thank Klösterreich for the invitation to Lilienfeld Abbey. However, our opinions remain our own.

Du suchst Travel tips to monasteries? For example, you will find what you are looking for at this link. Also discover Slow Travel Tips.

Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Videos: © Copyright Petar Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline

Lilienfeld Abbey - Abbey Library, Monastery & Gallery