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Apartment
Am Kupferberg
These beautiful, individual furnished guest houses are situated in the charming surrounding of Walkenried and at the foot of the Copper mountain (Kupferberg).
Walkenried

Walkenried is principally known as the location of the Walkenried Abbey. The Abbey which was founded in 1127 was the third Cistercian monastery to be established in Germany. Walkenried is situated in the southern part of Harz and is approximately 5 km from Bad Sachsa, 15 km south from Braunlage and 15km northwest of Nordhausen.
Today you can see some of the impressive remains of the abbey plus an excellent new museum which was opened in 2006 and is one of the largest and most innovative museums in Europe covering the history of monastic life and is a fitting tribute to what is one of Germanys top historic abbeys and a building of European importance.

The abbey was founded by Countess Adelheid as the third Cistercian monastery within German speaking territory and was confirmed in 1137 by Pope Innocent II. The early monks gave much attention to land clearance and development including mining, smelting and the construction of fish ponds and Walkenried Abbey became wealthy.

By the 15 century the abbey was in decline and the Peasants war brought it to the verge of destruction. In 1525, 800 peasants marched against the abbey. Abbot Paulus and the monks fled taking with them the archives. The abbey was plundered and the tower torn down. For a while the abbey was declared as a "territorially independent". In 1546 under the Abbot John VII the monks and abbot became Lutherans.
Count Ernst of Hohnstein as patron of the monastery laid a complaint to Charles V. In 1548 the emperor ordered that the abbey should be restored to its former glory, but this was unheeded. After the counts death the state of Honstein became Lutheran, and in 1557 a protestant school was opened in Walkenried.
For a short time during the "Thirty Years War", the abbey was restored to the Cistercians. The Peace of Westphalia put an end to the Protestant monastery and the abbey was secularised. In 1668 the school was closed. From that time till the early part of the 20thC the monastry was often plundered for local building materials.
You can see the picturesque remains of the Gothic church, which was destroyed during the peasant's revolt in 1525. The monastery which was later in date and its cloister is well preserved. The newly opened museum is excellent and uses the space inside very well and is a wonderful example of a modern design that blends comfortably with the old.

Admission prices for the Museum, Adults 5euro, Children 4euros, under 6 years free. Family tickets 13euro. There are various guided tours, please refer to the web site for details.

All photos copyright to Kloster Walkenried and are used with kind permission. Text used from translation of material from Kloster Walkenried and various Internet public sources.