Maria Laach Abbey

Over the last couple weeks we've made two visits to Maria Laach, which happily is just a 30-minute drive down the Autobahn from our home in Bonn.



Maria Laach is a little lakeside resort that centers on a magnificent Romanesque abbey church. I learned about the church only recently, in my Oxford History of Early Medieval Architecture (a wonderful book, by the way), and was really looking forward to seeing it. With its lakeside location and monumental size, it surpassed even my high expectations.


The beautiful Laacher See or "Lake Laach." Laach is the Old German word for lake and the abbey was named for it. But See is the modern German word for lake.

Laach Abbey was founded in 1093 by Count Heinrich II von Laach and his wife, who lived in a castle across the lake. They couldn't have children, so they donated their inheritance to building a monastery on the opposite shore. It was finished by 1167 and became rather important in the Middle Ages. After lots of turmoil and occasional closures under Napoleon, the Prussians, and the Nazis, the abbey is once again home to Benedictine monks.


The first time we visited (Sunday Jan. 13) we arrived just after sunset so our pictures weren't very good. It was also mighty cold out, but we were still impressed by the church and enjoyed our visit a great deal.

On our second visit (Wednesday Jan. 23) we arrived around noon, which gave us the opportunity for some good sunbreaks and enough time to explore the area more thoroughly. It was a wonderful day out. There was, however, one significant downside, photo-wise...


Wouldn't you know it, in the week since our first visit they put up scaffolding on half the front! Signs said it would be there until the end of 2009. Arggh. What a bummer. The restorations (although I'm sure necessary) are especially unfortunate since this west porch/courtyard is one of the most unusual features of the church.


The white building on the right is part of the abbey where the monks still live.


View from the side (northwest). What a stunning example of Romanesque architecture, with its variety of shapes coming together into a harmonious whole. As the aforementioned Early Medieval Architecture book puts it:

"The Benedictine abbey church of Maria Laach (1093-c.1250) is one of the more spectacular monuments of Romanesque Germany, its broken silhouette of towers and turrets conveying the impression of a romantic fortress rather than a church."

Colorful details over the entrance to the west porch.

There is a great collection of interesting carved capitals and friezes around the west portal and inside the porch, featuring mythical creatures and some rather odd scenes.


Here's the buttcrack of a wrestling boy and a devil taking notes (a list of sins?).


The wrestler with his opponent. I don't see any feet - maybe they are mermen?






Interior view. Note that there is a whole lot of wall and only small windows, which is one of the main characteristics of Romanesque architecture.


Original Romanesque groin vault in the nave

After our church visit we got to go on some short nature walks!


First we headed up a trail behind the abbey that led into a nice little forest complete with logging roads and leafy paths.


We had a nice view of the abbey through the trees.


This is the St Nicholas Chapel, which is also from the 12th century and prettily painted. It's on the abbey property and sadly not open to the public. Unfortunately there is also a tall stone wall between the forest and the abbey so we risked life and limb climbing on large rocks to get the above views.

Then we made the short walk to the lake, which is just down a paved trail from the parking lot. Both times we've visited, the lakeside walking paths have been full of people out walking. We are continually impressed with the Germans' commitment to outdoor exercise. The paths near our apartment always have people walking on them, many of them elderly, in all kinds of weather.


Next to the parking lot (a fairground-type affair on grass and mud) were thorough signs with instructions for mastering the Nordic Walking Technik. This technik is clearly very popular, as the vast majority of walkers we see have their sticks along.


A fit-looking pair with their sticks.


On our way to the lake we saw an ermine! I don't think I've ever seen one before, although they are apparently common throughout North America and Europe. He is so cute. The poor picture quality is due to a very long zoom - he was only a little white blur in real life.


View south from the trail to the lake. The Laacher See is a crater lake formed by a volcanic eruption just 10,000 years ago and this whole area is covered in volcanoes. Maria Laach is in the middle of the protected "Vulkanpark" (which has excellent walking trails). They are still active, too. Gulp.


On the shores of the Laacher See. It's very blue, a bit like the famous Crater Lake back in my home state of Oregon.


The lake shore.


A really big dog enjoying his evening walk.


Ducks in the fading light

See my article for lots more about the history and features of Maria Laach and the accompanying photo gallery for lots more pics of the church, its weird carvings, and the pretty lake.