Einsiedeln Abbey, Einsiedeln
Einsiedeln Abbey is a popular pilgrimage destination in Switzerland, and its Baroque architecture and chapel with the Black Madonna draw both visitors and locals. It is an excellent halt for travelers on the Way of St. James. For centuries, pilgrims traveling to Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Spain on the Way of St. James have stopped at Einsiedeln Abbey. To finance itself, the abbey runs a private high school, a winery, a sawmill, a restaurant, and other minor enterprises.
The pilgrimages that have never stopped since the days of St Meinrad have elevated Einsiedeln to the level of the Holy House of Loreto and Santiago de Compostela, functioning as a key halting place on the Way of St. James that leads there. The focus of their devotion is a 15th-century figure of Our Lady enthroned in the little chapel created by Eberhard. It is the subject of the first preserved pilgrimage print, by the Master E.S. in 1466. The chapel is housed within the grand abbey church. You may even try the water from the Fountain of Our Lady in Klosterplatz, which is thought to have therapeutic abilities. The monastery grounds are free of charge and open to the public. There are guided tours as well inside the monastery and the library that lasts up to two hours.
Location: Kloster Einsiedeln, 8840 Einsiedeln
