The town and Zwettl Abbey, together with their Cisterscape partners, invite you to explore the monastery landscape with all your senses this weekend. With a varied program, young and old will learn in a playful way how the Cistercians built their monasteries and shaped the surrounding landscape to this day.

Saturday, June 27, 2026

08:00 a.m.: “Treat yourself”, guided hike along the Bernhardiweg from Rosenau Castle to Zwettl Abbey (18.3 km), meeting point: inner courtyard of the castle. Please make sure you have good shoes and sufficient food for the hike. The event takes place in all weathers. Please register by June 19, 2026 with Doris Heider (+43 664 88152320, doris.heider@stift-zwettl.at).

09:00 am: “Adventure Pond” workshop at the Edelhof lake pond with experienced pond rangers, recommended for children aged 6 to 9, meeting point Edelhof bus stop, please register with Eva Mayer (eva.mayer@stift-zwettl.at).

11:30 am: Family hike from Edelhof to Zwettl Abbey (approx. 2.5 km), meeting point: Edelhof farm store

13:00 to 18:00: Cisterscapes Visitation Tour and hands-on stations in the Lindenhof of Zwettl Abbey, playfully explore the carp pond, herb garden, abbey forest and the abbey.

14:00: “The Santini scandal”, opening of the new exhibition, meeting point: monastery store

14:30: “Secret lodgers in the monastery”, themed tour for children, meeting point: monastery store

3:30 pm: “The diary of the little monk Ebro”, themed tour for children, meeting point: monastery store

16:00: “Gloriette Steig”, ceremonial opening of the revitalized English Garden. guided hike, meeting point: monastery store

From 12 noon, master fisherman Andreas Nägel will be serving hot and cold dishes in the Lindenhof.

For organizational reasons, registration by 20 June 2026 would be desirable. You are welcome to select individual program items for your participation.

Sunday, June 28, 2026

After a festive mass (10:15 am) on the occasion of the 70th birthday of Abbot Johannes Maria Szypulski OCist, the revitalized abbey courtyard and the cloister garden will be ceremoniously opened. Afterwards, guests can round off the morning with an agape in the Lindenhof courtyard of Zwettl Abbey. On this day too, fish master Andreas Nägel will spoil guests with hot and cold dishes in the Lindenhof.

This project is funded by the Interreg Austria-Czech Republic program under the project title “ATCZ00007 CISTERSCAPES VB-Zw-ZnS”.