Eberbach Abbey

Eberbach Abbey (Kloster Eberbach) is a former Cistercian monastery in Hesse, Germany, near Eltville in the Rheingau; it was founded in the 12th century and is noted for its medieval architecture and wine cellars. The complex is one of the best preserved Cistercian sites in Germany and is open to visitors for tours and events.

The Romanesque-Gothic abbey church, the cloistered monastic ranges and the extensive vaulted cellars used historically for wine production. Guided tours, exhibitions and cultural events make the abbey an accessible example of monastic life and medieval building techniques.

The abbey was established in the 12th century by Cistercian monks from the Clairvaux tradition and became a powerful ecclesiastical and economic institution through its vineyards and landholdings. It was secularized during the early 19th century and subsequently repurposed before later conservation and restoration preserved key medieval structures.

Eberbach sits in the Rheingau wine region near the Rhine, close to the towns of Eltville and Rüdesheim and within reach of Wiesbaden. The abbey’s cellars and buildings reflect the long viticultural history of the surrounding landscape.

• Founding and viticulture: Founded in the 12th century, the abbey became one of the most important Cistercian foundations in the Rhine-Main region and a major wine producer.
• Filming location: Used as a filming location for feature films, attracting visitors to its well-preserved medieval architecture and cellars.

What to See #

• Abbey church: A Romanesque-Gothic abbey church with aisles and vaulted bays that forms the liturgical core of the monastery complex.
• Cloister and monastic buildings: A cloister and monastic buildings dating across the 12th to 15th centuries that include refectories, chapter house and monks' accommodation.
• Wine cellars: Extensive vaulted wine cellars and storehouses, some medieval in origin, reflecting the abbey's long association with viticulture in the Rheingau.