Special film screening "Landscapes of the Cistercians"
2025-01-23 19:00 - 21:00 (Europe/Berlin)
We cordially invite you to a special screening of the film “Landscapes of the Cistercians” in the auditorium of the Waldsassen girls’ secondary school!

Filmmaker David Sünderhauf will introduce his film production. Finally, Stefan Wolters (Head of Bärnau Archaeology Park) will provide information about building in the Middle Ages.

Waldsassen: Film screenings with lecture "Cisterscapes" - landscape film
2025-01-23 19:00 - 21:00 | Girls’ secondary school of the Cistercian nuns Waldsassen – AULA, Basilica Square 2, Waldsassen, 95652
Film screenings “Cisterscapes” Landscape film with lecture by Stefan Wolters on 23.01.25 in the girls’ secondary school of the Cistercian nuns in Waldsassen.
Mornings: 10:45 – 12:45 for pupils as part of lessons, auditorium of the girls’ secondary school.
Evenings: from 19:00 for parents, friends of the secondary school and interested visitors, auditorium of the girls’ secondary school.
Admission free.

Lecture: Cistercians as organic pioneers?
2025-01-15 19:00 - 20:00 | Waldsassen Monastery
Wednesday, 15.01.2025; 19.00 hrs; Kunsthaus Waldsassen
Speakers:
Antje Grüner, IKom Stiftland | Project Manager Öko-Modellregion;
Martina Zanner, IKom Stiftland | Project Manager European Heritage Label Cistercian Monastery and Cultural Landscape in Stiftland

Sustainability and respect for nature have not only been an issue since the increasing awareness of climate change. Industrial progress and the belief that we can control the forces of nature have made us forget that centuries ago, success was only possible by adapting to the natural environment. This can be illustrated by the example of the Cistercians, who still shape Europe today with the cultural landscapes they created. One of their recipes for success was to take into account the geological and climatic conditions at the monastery site. Please register at: antje.gruener@ikomstiftland.de or 09635 9240-467

Waldviertel carp - tried and tested and served in a new way
2024-11-21 17:00 - 21:00 | Wurmhof Thaller, Oberhof 28, Zwettl, Lower Austria, 3910, Österreich
The Zwettl Adult Education Center is organizing a cooking seminar on 21 November 2024 in cooperation with Cisterscapes, in which carp can be rediscovered . Together with Gaby Thaller (seminar farmer), participants will prepare and eat potato dumplings with carp caviar, carp on a bed of millet, carp and potato skewers and carp lasagne. During the course of the seminar, Dr. Andreas Gamerith (abbey archivist) will provide fascinating insights into the history of pond farming in the Waldviertel, which is closely linked to the work of the Zwettl Cistercians. The carp princess Michaela Altmann builds the bridge to the use of the ponds in the present. Further information on the cooking seminar at: Homepage of the Zwettl Adult Education Center (online from 26.8.2024): www.vhszwettl.at (in the “Creative and Culinary” section)

Autumn excursion to Gobelsburg Castle and Röhrenbach
2024-11-16 09:30 - 17:00 | Gobelsburg Castle and Röhrenbach Valley Church
Wine has always played an important role for the Cistercians – and not just for liturgical use. As early as 1171, the Zwettler monks were therefore given vineyards in Gobelsburg. The castle and cellar (especially the newly built, artistically designed cloister cellar) show the strong connection with the monastery and its tradition. On 16 November 2024, the adult education centre is organizing an excursion to Gobelsburg Castle. During this excursion, Dr. Andreas Gamerith (abbey archivist), who played a leading role in the design of the cloister cellar, gives the participants an understanding of the history and special features of the Zwettl monastery landscape in witty stories. The final point of the Zwettl monastery landscape is the Röhrenbach hospital church, built in 1737 in the Greillenstein estate, which is also visited during this excursion. With Paul Troger, Joseph Munggenast, but also the organ builder Preysinger and the Götz pupil Giovanni Antonio Sanz, high-ranking artists were at work here. Further information on the excursion at: Homepage of the Adult Education Center Zwettl (online from 26.8.2024): www.vhszwettl.at (in the section “Lectures, excursions, educational trips”)

Monastery landscape tours October 2024
2024-10-17 - 2024-10-19 | Waldsassen Monastery
If you would like to explore the monastery and cultural landscape of the Stiftland, you are cordially invited to join one of the three guided tours through the monastery town of Waldsassen or the Stiftland with our monastery landscape guides.

Thursday, 17.10.2024, 15.00: (Almost) along the monastery wall – monastery landscape in the monastery town (Michaela Müller; approx. 2h, distance approx. 2.5 km)
Friday, 18.10.2024, 15.00: Experience the monastery landscape in the monastery town (Gabriele Achmann; approx. 2h, route approx. 1.5 km)
Saturday, 19.10.2024, 1.30 pm: Guided tour of the monastery landscape with baroque highlights (Michael Rückl; approx. 4h 30 min, distance approx. 10 km)

The meeting point for the guided tours is at the Diepoldbrunnen fountain in front of the collegiate basilica. Due to limited places on the guided tours, please register by email to martina.zanner@ikomstiftland.de or by telephone on 09632 9247349 by October 11, 2024.

European cultural heritage staged
2024-10-17 - 2024-10-19 | Waldsassen Monastery
From October 17 – 19, 2024, the awarding of the European Heritage Label will be celebrated in Waldsassen with an impressive light show. The heritage of the Cistercians is staged on a huge water screen around the monastery complex and their buildings shine in a special light. In addition to this illumination (from 19:00 – 22:00), guided tours of the monastery landscape around Waldsassen are offered on all days. You can find the program here: EKS celebration program If you would like to follow the Cistercians and Cistercian nuns in the Stiftland region in culinary terms, you can find information here: culinary heritage The district’s museum department “das zwoelfer” has created a podcast series that provides insights into the diverse culture of the Stiftland region: Podcasts “Please do not touch”

Michaelstein Monastery: "Exhibiting religion 2024"
2024-10-14 - 2024-10-15
Lecture series “Exhibiting religion” Religions are not only expressed in scriptures and teachings. They are also holistic spaces of experience with rites and practices that on the one hand serve self-assurance within the religious community, but on the other hand also make it visible to the outside world. The symposium explores the question of how such performative expressions can be described and communicated in museum contexts in such a way that their uniqueness remains recognizable. Due to high demand, the event “Exhibiting Religion” (14./15.10.2024) will be offered in a hybrid format, register directly via the “Register to participate online” button. https://www.frh-europe.org/frh-masterclass-staging-religion-in-museums-the-performance-of-religions-as-a-challenge-for-museums/

Koppenwind: Cistercian market
2024-10-13 10:00 - 18:00 | Koppenwind Castle, Rauhenebrach, Deutschland
Cistercian market on the village square and in the inner courtyard of the castle. Large children’s playground right next to the market. Pony rides for the children. Visitors can expect around 35 market stalls with all kinds of goodies and useful items. Monastery products, Cistercian beer on tap, large coffee bar with homemade cakes, tarts and hat doughnuts and much more.

Maulbronn: Conference "The Württemberger Landgraben in the Maulbronn area"
2024-10-11 | Schmie gymnasium, Glaitstrasse39, Maulbronn, 75433
Conference in cooperation with the citizens’ association Schmie e.V. (part of Maulbronn) on the Württemberger Landgraben. This moat cut through the Maulbronn monastery landscape and is one of the early changes in the former cultural landscape of the Cistercians that can still be seen today. Due to its good fortifications, Maulbronn itself was also considered an important strategic point for national defense from the Middle Ages onwards.
The aim of the conference is not only to gain new insights into the history and course of the moat in the area around Maulbronn by means of an interdisciplinary exchange, but also to contribute to its preservation. The conference is aimed equally at interested laypeople and experts.
Registration deadline: October 2, 2024

Ceremonial opening of the "Cistercian Way" in Zwettl
2024-10-05 10:00 - 12:30 | Zwettl Monastery, Zwettl Abbey 1, Zwettl, Lower Austria, 3910, Österreich
In the footsteps of the monks in Zwettl On Saturday, October 5, 2024, the section in Zwettl will be ceremoniously opened. Before the actual ceremony, Abbot Fr. Johannes Maria Szypulski will give a pilgrimage blessing at 10 a.m. in the . After the unveiling of a stele, guests accompanied by a hiking guide follow in the footsteps of the Cistercian monks on a circular trail through the abbey woods. At the same time, visitors with limited mobility can take a guided walk through the barrier-free gardens of Zwettl Abbey and learn lots of interesting facts about the cultural heritage and the monks’ approach to nature. Participation in the event is open to the public and free of charge.

Zwettl Abbey: Opening of the "Cistercian Trail" section of the hiking trail
2024-10-04 - 2024-10-05

Stična and Kostanjevica na Krki na Krki, Slovenia/Slovenia: Opening of the Cistercian Way and Visitation Tour/Opening of the Cistercian Way and Visitation Tour
2024-09-30 - 2024-10-01

Rein Abbey: Culinary Heritage event "The culinary heritage of the Cistercians"
2024-09-28 | Rein Abbey, Pure 1, Gratwein-Straßengel, 8103, Österreich
For almost 900 years now, the monks of Rein have been preserving the legacy of their founder, Leopold, Margrave of Steyr.
In addition to the monastery forest, the green lung of the region, these are also cultural assets of inestimable historical value.
Witnesses to the history of Styria and a water supply system that was pioneering in the Middle Ages will take center stage on Saturday, September 28, along with the culinary delights that are a must in a monastery.
The monastery courtyard will become a stage from 10:00 a.m. to celebrate a prestigious award.
Rein Abbey receives the European Heritage Label. Gratwein-Straßengel celebrates a historical jewel Community and the monks of Rein invite you to a wide range of activities on Saturday, September 28 from 10:00 am.
You can take a look into the cooking pot during demonstrations and enjoy lard cookies or distilled malt.
In addition to herbs, old fruit varieties such as the “Klachelapfel” or the “Schafnase” will experience a revival.
Musical entertainment is provided by the Gratweiner Böhmische and the Steirische Soatnpress.
There are hands-on stations for children and free guided tours from 11:00 a.m., during which the volunteer monastery guides provide a glimpse behind the monastery walls and into the marvel of the water tunnel in the Ulrichsberg.
Admission is free.

10:00 a.m. Opening ceremony
11:00 a.m. start of the program (including live cooking events with tastings, children’s program, guided tours)

Maulbronn: Guided walk around the monastery - The cultural landscape of the Cistercians
2024-09-22 14:30 | Maulbronn Monastery, Klosterhof 5, Maulbronn, 75433, Deutschland
For many centuries, the Cistercian monks shaped the landscape around the monastery.
Traces of this cultural landscape have been preserved to this day and represent an important cultural-historical testimony.
The walk leads from the farmstead with the monastery mill via the monastery vineyard, the quarries and the deep lake to the Schafhof, a former Maulbronn farmstead.
Special tour: Knowledge & Amazement Event with: Martin Ehlers, Maulbronn town archivist
INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION

Registration is essential for special guided tours: Maulbronn Monastery Information Center Klosterhof 5 75433 Maulbronn Phone +49(0)70 43.92 66 10 Fax +49(0)70 43.92 66 11 info@kloster-maulbronn.de

TICKET SALES

Info center / Monastery ticket office

MEETING POINT

Info center / Monastery ticket office

DURATION

2 hours

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS

maximum 30 persons

PRICE

Adults € 15.00 Concessions € 7.50

GROUPS

Additional appointments for groups can be arranged by telephone or e-mail.
Groups of up to 20 people: flat rate of € 270.00, each additional person € 13.50 Groups of 20 or more people: € 13.50 per person

Ebrach: Enjoyment day and opening of the "Cistercian Landscape" information center
2024-09-22 | Information Center Orangery Ebrach, Lagerhausstrasse 5, Ebrach, Bavaria, 96157, Deutschland
Following the EHL award ceremony in Antwerp, our Cisterscapes network is about to reach another festive milestone: the opening of the “Cistercian Landscape” information center in the former orangery of the upper abbey garden in Ebrach on 22 September 2024. The unveiling of the seal plaque and the opening of the center are embedded in this year’s Bamberg District Enjoyment Day and are accompanied by a varied culinary and cultural program: 14:00: Ceremonial unveiling of the seal plaque with District Administrator Johann Kalb Cistercian Landscape Information Center, Orangery Upper Abbey Garden, 10:00-17:00 What do mills, fish ponds, farmyards and vineyards have to do with the Cistercians? Why are their huge monasteries always located away from the settlement centers in the wet valley? What is special about monastery forests? Why do landscapes like Ebrach play an important role in the history of Europe? You can find answers in the new Cisterscapes Info Center! Short guided tours on demand. Partner landscapes present themselves in the Upper Abbey Garden. Delicious medieval food, Upper Abbey Garden in front of the information center, 11:30 and 16:00 A medieval Cistercian nun welcomes us to her kitchen.
We cook sweet and savory dishes from local ingredients. Hands-on and craft activities for children, Orangery Upper Abbey Garden, 11:00-17:00 Flyer_Genusstag_2024

Ebrach: Kick-off party for the opening of the "Cistercian Landscape" information center
2024-09-21 18:30 | Klosterbräu Remise, Marketplace 4, Ebrach, 96157, Deutschland
After the EHL award ceremony in Antwerp, our Cisterscapes network is about to reach another festive milestone: the opening of the Cistercian Landscape Information Center in the former orangery of the upper abbey garden in Ebrach on September 22, 2024. The unveiling of the seal plaque and the opening of the center are embedded in this year’s Bamberg District Enjoyment Day and will be accompanied by a varied culinary and cultural program.
The opening party will take place on the evening before the opening: September 21 from 6.30 p.m. with a concert by the Franconian band Kellerkommando (rehearsals at https://kellerkommando.de) in the former coach house of the abbey, Klosterbräu Ebrach.

Bad Doberan: Doberan Monastery Days 2024 - Monastery experience
2024-09-20 - 2024-09-22
SPIRITUAL TOURISM – EDUCATION AND ENCOUNTER This year’s Monastery Days are being held under the heading “EXPERIENCE LOCATION CLOSTERY”. After the reception to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Association of Friends and Sponsors of Doberan Monastery on Friday, September 20, 2024, we can look forward to interesting contributions. The potential that our monastery complex offers as a PLACE OF EXPERIENCE CLOSTERY should be examined, recognized and further developed. The small town of Bad Doberan cannot do this alone. We want to learn from the experiences of other monasteries in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and from experts who are particularly successful in the contemporary mediation and experience of monastery sites. The Rehna Monastery from Northwest Mecklenburg and the museeon office from Berlin as designers of cultural spaces for everyone will report on this. KLOSTER DOBERAN ERLEBEN – the effects of the new findings of the Berlin building researcher winterfuchs together with the research of Münsterkustos Martin Heider on the medieval processes in the farmhouse – the bakehouse mill with granary – on the building process and the later use will be summarized by the association’s chairwoman Sabine Krahn-Schulze. The architect Rene Kunz will present initial plans for the use of the medieval baking hall as the town library and the medieval writing room – the scriptorium. Afterwards, you can trace the traces of the Middle Ages during a tour and gain an impression of the progress of the building project. As a contribution to the 25th anniversary of the Association of Friends and Sponsors of Doberan Monastery, we will be able to enjoy a concert with VOX NOSTRA in Doberan Minster after the final service. The Doberan Monastery Days 2024 will conclude on Sunday with an excursion to the patrionate churches of Steffenshagen and Retschow in the vicinity of our monastery. Participation in the conference is free of charge. Bad Doberan 20 – 22 SEPTEMBER 2024 Klosterhof 1 Kornhaus Contact: City of Bad Doberan Tourist Information, Bad Doberan – Heiligendamm Ticket service and accommodation Mollistrasse 10 18209 Bad Doberan Tel.: 038203 420311 info@bad-doberan-heiligendamm.de Verein der Freunde und Förderer des Klosters Doberan e.V. Klosterstraße 1a 18209 Bad Doberan Email: info@klosterverein-doberan.eu https://klosterverein-doberan.eu

Bus trip to the Ebrach gourmet market
2024-09-10 - 2024-09-22 | Waldsassen Monastery
If you would like to discover culinary delights from various Cistercian monasteries, experience the opening of the new Cistercian museum in Ebrach and explore parts of the monastery complex there on 22.09.2024, you can still register for the bus trip.
There are still places available. Travel to Berni’s birthplace!

Guided cycle tour in the footsteps of the monks
2024-09-08 10:00 - 17:00 | Waldsassen Monastery
On Open Monument Day, you can follow in the footsteps of the white monks between the two centers of Stiftland (Waldsassen and Tirschenreuth). The guided cycle tour of around 45km starts in front of the Waldsassen basilica and leads past the Schupfenteich pond and through the Tirschenreuth pond pan to the Fischhof fish farm in Tirschenreuth. You return to WAldsassen via Königshütte, where a refreshment stop is planned. Guide: Martina Zanner, Project Manager European Heritage Label Cistercian Monastery and Cultural Landscape in Stiftland; IKom Stiftland Registration required under: Tourist-Info Waldsassen tourist-info@waldsassen.de 09632 88160

KLOSTERLAND-Salons - ONLINE: "Art publishing - a successful monastic niche business"
2024-08-20 18:30 | ONLINE
The Klosterland series has the motto: “Transformation – art and handicrafts in monasteries” and invites you to immerse yourself in various areas of monastic culture.
Whether bookbinding, art publishing or paramentics: our KLOSTERLAND member Dr. Felicitas von Aretin (journalist and author) will bring the diversity of monastic worlds to life on the respective salon evenings with her discussion partners, who come from very different monasteries. Beuron “Kunstverlag – a successful monastic niche business” A conversation with Father Mauritius Sauerzapf, OSB, Beuron Archabbey Please REGISTER for the online salon at: salon-p-mauritius@klosterland.de You will receive the access data by email immediately after registering.about the person Father Mauritius Sauerzapf has been publishing director of the renowned Beuron art publishing house since 2005.
In 2019, the Benedictine monk celebrated his golden profession at Beuron Archabbey.
Father Mauritius is also active as a religious author. Beuroner Kunstverlag The art publishing house was founded back in 1898 as part of the establishment of the Beuron Art School.
Initially, the publishing house focused on art prints.
The range was later expanded.
In the first half of the 20th century, publishing products boomed: Pictures of saints and cards achieved a circulation of up to 3.5 million.
Even though orders declined, the niche publishing house has managed to hold its own to this day.
The Beuron annual calendar, an edition of the Rule of Benedict and the works of St. Hildegard are popular.
The publishing house contributes around 40 percent of the abbey’s total income and employs a total of seven secular staff.
The monastery’s own print shop was closed in 2006. Kloster-Salon In the interview, Father Mauritius reports on how, as publishing director, he has managed to steer the Beuron art publishing house through difficult times as a niche publisher.
They also discuss how the decline in church life is affecting sales and how cooperation with secular employees is working.

Further dates and information on the salons can be found on the following website https://klosterland.de/events – or here in the overview.
– Participation in the salons is free of charge

KLOSTERLAND-Salons ONLINE: "Goldsmith's art in the European Monastery Gut Aich"
2024-08-06 18:30 | ONLINE
The Klosterland series has the motto: “Transformation – art and handicrafts in monasteries” and invites you to immerse yourself in various areas of monastic culture.
Whether bookbinding, art publishing or paramentics: our KLOSTERLAND member Dr. Felicitas von Aretin (journalist and author) will bring the diversity of monastic worlds to life on the respective salon evenings with her discussion partners, who come from very different monasteries.
This evening’s discussion partner is Michael van Ooyen, goldsmith, Europakloster Gut Aich. Please REGISTER for the online salon at: salon-goldschmiede@klosterland.deYou will receive the access data by e-mail immediately after registration. Personal details: Michael van Ooyen has been working as a church goldsmith at the Austrian Benedictine monastery Europakloster Gut Aich as a secular employee since 2020.
Previously, the 65-year-old worked as the operations and workshop manager of the Schoenstatt Brothers of Mary in Vallendar, the largest arts and crafts workshop in this field.
Today, he restores precious liturgical objects and also creates artistic new ones.
He himself comes from a dynasty of goldsmiths and silversmiths in Kevela and has experienced the upheavals and changes in the arts and crafts sector at first hand during his long career.
In our conversation, we talk about what is important in the work of a church goldsmith, how spirituality and craftsmanship are connected and what challenges the profession faces.
European monastery Gut Aich: The Austrian Benedictine monastery Gut Aich near Lake Wolfgangsee has a very unusual history: it was only founded in 1993 and was accepted into the Austrian Benedictine congregation in 2004 after a trial phase.
The Benedictine monastery with its nine monks stands for modern monasticism, which is dedicated to the peaceful coalescence of the peoples of Europe.
It is a center of European herbal medicine, which finds its holistic practical application in the outpatient clinic of the St. Hildegard Center with psychotherapy and various other health services.
Brother David Steindl-Rast also lives in the monastery. As a monk and bridge builder to Buddhism, he is one of the best-known spiritual teachers of our time.
The monastery has four art workshops, most of which are run by secular employees.
Michael van Ooyen has been a goldsmith and silversmith at the European Monastery since 2020.

Further dates and information on the salons can be found on our website https://klosterland.de/events – or here in the overview.
– Participation in the salons is free of charge.

We are already looking forward to the next ONLINE-Salon.20.08.2024 – 18.30 – KLOSTERLAND-Salon with Father Mauritius Sauerzapf, OSB, Beuron Archabbey Registration already possible: salon-p-mauritius@klosterland.de

Tirschenreuth: Guided tour
2024-08-03 17:00 - 17:30 | Tirschenreuth
Over three summers 800 years ago, up to a hundred farmers from the Waldsassen monastery toiled daily at the sawmill to cut an artificial channel through the local granite and gneiss for the Waldnaab. Using a hammer and chisel, without black powder or other technical equipment, around 500 cubic meters of stone were broken out of the rock over a distance of 80 meters. The result was the outlet of the lower town pond, which was completed in 1219. This masterpiece of high medieval pond construction still fascinates visitors today.
Duration: approx. 30 min.
At least. 5, max. 20 persons
Registration for the respective event is possible at the Tourist Information Tirschenreuth under 09631/600248.
Group bookings are also possible on request.

Maulbronn: Book presentation "The church of the Cistercian monastery Maulbronn"
2024-07-19 10:00 | Maulbronn Monastery, Klosterhof 5, Maulbronn, 75433, Deutschland
The Cistercian monastery church in Maulbronn was built between around 1145 and its consecration in 1178 in a
rapid construction progress, characterized by an unusually large number of changes of plan. The unique original roof structure, large Gothic tracery windows and the monumental wooden ridge turret
from 1397 contribute to its high artistic and architectural significance. The great Madonna,
Gothic wall paintings and a magnificent three-seater have been preserved from its furnishings.
The extensive restoration from 1998 to 2004 gave rise to intensive research into the
East building of the church and its furnishings.
Matthias Untermann: “The church of the Maulbronn Cistercian monastery”
Organizational notes: We would be pleased if you register for the event via
andrea.kollinger@rps.bwl.de

Bamberg: Heinrichsfest 2024
2024-07-14 11:30 - 17:00 | Bamberg/Domplatz, Cathedral Square, Bamberg
The Heinrichsfest is the festival of the Archdiocese of Bamberg. It is celebrated in memory of the founder of the diocese of Bamberg, Holy Emperor Heinrich. It traditionally takes place on the second weekend in July each year.
Cisterscapes will take part in the event with an information stand and a children’s program (craft and sand table).
Entire Heinrichsfest site
11:30 – 17:00
Great offer with many hands-on activities in the “Courtyard of Youth” in the cathedral provostry
11:30 – 17:00
Water playground, small children’s vehicles and lots of craft and hands-on activities at the stands on the cathedral square (Cisterscapes)
11:30 – 17:00
Heinrich und Kunigunde and other offers on the museum forecourt
11:30 – 16:30
Participation game with prize draw. Participation cards at the information stand on the cathedral square
11:30 – 17:00
Caritas ice cream van on the cathedral square
13:30 – 14:30
“Adventure tour for children” with Archbishop Herwig Gössl. Meeting point: entrance to the sacristy

Wunsiedel: Day of the Franconians
2024-07-07 | City of Wunsiedel
The Day of the Franconians will be celebrated in Wunsiedel in 2024. Cisterscapes will take part in the event with an information stand and a children’s program (sand and craft table).

Giechburg/Scheßlitz: 3rd children's festival
2024-07-06 14:00 - 18:00 | Giechburg Castle, Giechburg 1, Scheßlitz, 96110
Peace, joy and castle fun
3rd Children’s Festival on Saturday, July 6, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
On July 6, the Giechburg is once again firmly in the hands of children. At the 3rd children’s festival of the Bamberg district, young and old knights and damsels can explore the castle from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm. Under the motto “Peace, joy, castle fun!” many great and interesting hands-on stations await.
Volunteers organize party for children
The idea for a children’s festival at Giechburg Castle came from the ranks of volunteers a few years ago. Due to the great success of the first two children’s festivals, volunteer officer Friederike Straub and district youth worker Oliver Schulz-Mayr have once again organized a festival for older and younger children this year. Thanks to the support of the Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior, Sport and Integration and in cooperation with the Bavarian Sports Youth, the Bamberg-Land District Youth Association, KoBis, Integration through Sport and the VR Bank Bamberg-Forchheim and the great support of volunteer clubs, the festival once again offers a varied program this year.
The children’s festival takes place in all weathers and is free of charge. Parking is available below the castle. For those who are not so good on foot, a free shuttle bus runs from here up to Giechburg Castle.
Stations and offers:

Soapbox ride: You’re sure to spot the fantastic vehicles as you approach the castle! Get in!
Let yourself go – abseiling from the castle
Stalls with beekeepers, carrier pigeons, birds of prey and much more – get to know nature!
Exercise at different stations: Would you like to learn how to use a bow and arrow or keep fit for the next jousting tournament? Be fair!
Colorful studio: Let the brushes paint “peace”! Take courage!
Photo session: Dress up like a damsel or a knight in the beautiful tower room! We’ll capture this moment for you in a great souvenir photo.
Story bower: always sneak in at the full hour of the tower clock and be curious what you will hear!
Face painting in the tower
Bouncy castle: “Here you can really let off steam”
Graffiti & castle workshop: Let your creativity run wild!
What is the monk doing in the mill? Crafting, puzzling and designing with Cisterscapes
and much more

All offers are free of charge.

Ebrach: Tour "In the footsteps of the Cistercians" - cooperation with the VHS Bamberg-Land
2024-06-30 10:00 - 12:30 | Information Center Orangery Ebrach, Lagerhausstrasse 5, Ebrach, Bavaria, 96157, Deutschland
Ebrach Monastery Church
An exciting search for traces through the monastery town of Ebrach: from the central monastery complex and its gardens to vineyards and wine cellars, from sophisticated water management with ponds and canals to places of prescribed self-sufficiency from the rule “ora et labora” – the tour follows in the footsteps of the Cistercian monks of Ebrach, who shaped the Steigerwald region for centuries.
Tip: Ebrach can be reached with the Steigerwaldexpress leisure line of the VGN.

Lecturer: Stefan Wolters

VHS Bamberg: Cistercian landscapes as European heritage
2024-06-25 19:00 - 20:30 | VHS Bamberg, Altes E-Werk, Tränkgasse 4, Bamberg, 96052
Within decades, the Cistercian reform order spread throughout Europe in the High Middle Ages. The ascetic monks used their reputation to transform “wildernesses” into “paradises”. They consolidated border regions and always acted at the scientific height of their time. In their radical interpretation of Benedict’s Rule, in particular the principle of ora et labora, they transformed entire regions across Europe to suit their needs. Through their systematic exchange of knowledge, they became a driving force for agricultural innovation and a veritable economic empire.
They shaped their own type of cultural landscape: the Cistercian landscape. Such Cistercian landscapes can be found all over Europe. 17 former Cistercian abbeys from five countries have joined forces as Cisterscapes – Cistercian landscapes connecting Europe – to research this exciting phenomenon and raise public awareness of it. This cultural heritage network is coordinated by the district of Bamberg. Ebrach, the oldest cistercy on the right bank of the Rhine, is located here. The once rich and powerful abbey in the Steigerwald is an important milestone in the spread of the Order to the East Franconian-German Empire and beyond.
The lecture introduces us to the Cistercian landscape phenomenon and the CISTERSCAPES network, which was awarded the European Heritage Label in Antwerp on April 17, 2024.
Registration is not required.

Hike: The Langheim Cistercians and the water
2024-06-22 10:00 - 14:00 | Museum of local history Klosterlangheim, Abt-Mösinger-Str. 4, Lichtenfels
On a hike around Klosterlangheim, you will learn more about the Cistercians’ sophisticated water system and their pond farming. At the end of the hike, participants can find out how the ponds are used today – and of course enjoy a fish tasting.
The tour includes:

Guided hike through the monastery landscape (approx. 3 km)
Fish tasting & drinks
Visit to the Klosterlangheim local history museum

Meeting point: Heimatmuseum Klosterlangheim, Abt-Mösinger-Straße 4, 96215 Lichtenfels
Cost: 35,00 €
Booking: online at tickettune.com/lichtenfels, tourismus@lichtenfels.de, 09571/ 795 101
