We visited Ettal for a schnapps tasting via the Edelweiss resort's tour program and it was wonderful. I wish I could buy the hueyliquer in the US! Unfortunately, you can only get it here. I didn't want to deal with shipping it home so I did not get any and now I have regrets! read more

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Kloster Ettal (Ettal Abbey) is a Benedictine monastery in the village of Ettal close to Oberammergau and Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany. With a community of more than 50 monks, with another five at Wechselburg, the Abbey is one of the largest Benedictine houses. Ettal Abbey was founded on 28 April 1330, Saint Vitalis of Milan's day, by Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian in the Graswang valley, in fulfilment of an vow, on his return from his coronation in Rome, on a site of strategic importance on the primary trade route between Italy and Augsburg. The foundation legend is that Ludwig's horse genuflected three times on the site of the original church building, where a marble statuette of the Madonna and Child ("Frau Stifterin" or the "Ettal Madonna") now stands. The statuette was brought by Ludwig from Pisa as a gift for his new foundation. It soon became an object of pilgrimage. The church is dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. The foundation originally consisted of a Benedictine double monastery -- a community for men and another for women -- and also a house of the Teutonic Knights. The original Gothic abbey church, built between 1330 and 1370, was a modest structure in comparison to the great churches of medieval Bavaria. The abbey suffered great damage during the Reformation at the hands of the troops of Maurice of Saxony, but survived the troubles of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). In 1709, under Abbot Placidus II Seiz, the golden age of Ettal began with the establishment of the "Knights' Academy" ("Ritterakademie"), which developed into a highly successful school and began the educational tradition of the abbey. In 1744, the abbey and the abbey church were largely destroyed in a fire. The subsequent spectacular re-building in the Baroque style, with a double-shelled dome, was to the plans of Enrico Zuccalli, a Swiss-Italian architect working in Munich, who had studied with Bernini. The decoration was primarily carried out by Josef Schmutzer of the Wessobrunn School of stuccoists and Johann Baptist Straub, who was responsible for the altars and the chancel. Ettal's importance as a place of pilgrimage grew with the new buildings and it became one of the most important monasteries in the Alpine region. For my personal interest: during the winter of 1940-1941, the German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) spent some months at the monastery as the friend and guest of the Abbot. Like Bonhoeffer, a number of those in the Ettal community were involved in the conspiracy against Hitler. While at Ettal, Bonhoeffer also worked on his book Ethics. Catholic priest Rupert Mayer was kept at the Abbey under house arrest from 1939 to 1945 by the Nazis to prevent him from further anti-Nazi preaching. In 1993, Ettal re-founded the former Wechselburg Abbey in Saxony, an old monastery of the Augustinian Canons, as a Benedictine priory. Ettal maintains a Byzantine Institute. This Benedictine monastic building complex is magnificent. It's worth your visit when you are in the area for sure. read more

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Definitely a nice place to stop if you're traveling through Southern Bavaria. The monastery is famous for many things - the beautiful baroque church, the retreat center and monastic made treats. Still an active monastery, the church itself is a wonderful example of Grman roccocco architecture - it's all pastels, gold leaf and delicately carved cherubs. Beautiful - and beautifully preserved. The monks here are a busy lot - they make cheese, beer and wold famous schnapps. We went home with 4 small bottles - green, yellow, raspberry and herbal. The liqueurs might be worth the trip alone as they are incredibly delicious and reasonably priced. When the brothers aren't busy making tasty libations they are hosting spiritual retreats for pilgrims or giving tours. We were greeted by a friendly friar during our visit - he spoke about as much English as we spoke German (not much) but we were made welcome all the same. Be sure to stop at the small shop which sells religious articles as well as monastery produced goods. Proceeds are going to making the church handicapped accessible so no visitors are left out. read more

A gorgeous kloster located in the town of Ettal. It's an old monastery that began in the 1300's and has a cheese production facility, a brewery, shop and of course the gorgeous monastery and gardens. Across the road from the monastery is the hotel and restaurant. The monastery inside is beautiful and done in traditional Bavarian style with loads of paintings and sculpted walls. The drive into Ettal is spectacular and the monastery stands out in the landscape and towers over the town. Gorgeous mountains around this place. Ettal is also on the way to what I call the Christmas ornament town of Obberamergau, with it beautiful painted houses and wood carvers. It was my first time here and I quite liked it. read more

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The courtyard is beautiful, and the exterior is impressive, but the interior of the abbey is absolutely stunning. If you are in the Garmisch region, you are crazy not to visit Ettal Abbey. It's not necessarily a long visit, but make sure you stop in the gift shop as well for a huge selection of beers and liquors produced by the monks. Highly recommended! read more

Beautiful abbey!!! Really impressive place. Wonderful church, both on the out- and inside. If you want to go to the distillery make sure you check out opening times upfront. When we got there the information centre - where you sign up for the guided tour - had just closed (at 10:45 on Sunday) and would reopen only at 13:30. The lady in the shop was most helpful. We ended up buying liquor and beer produced by the monastery. :) read more