Maria Laach

Lake Laach enchants visitors with its idyllic landscape and the Maria Laach Abbey, which boasts a beautiful Romanesque abbey church and numerous attractions. Just 30 minutes from Koblenz, the Benedictine abbey of Maria Laach is located directly on Lake Laach. Here, landscape and culture, God's creation and human creativity merge into a place of relaxation and inspiration in a unique way. Today, the abbey is home to around 30 Benedictine monks who live according to the Benedictine rule "ora et labora". In the middle of Europe's "youngest landscape", the volcanic Eifel, Lake Laach was formed around 10,000 years ago by volcanic activity and the surrounding chain of hills. Founded in 1093, the monastery is home to a famous church whose stylistic purity makes it one of the most important Romanesque creations in Germany.

The unique view of Lake Laach is unmistakably characterized by the towers of the basilica of the Maria Laach monastery. In addition to the impressive abbey church, the monastery has a long tradition of craftsmanship, which is reflected in businesses such as the blacksmith's workshop and the ceramics factory. The public area of the monastery also offers a variety of interesting businesses, including the book and art shop, the monastery store with products from Laach manufactories, the exhibition garden of the art forge, the monastery nursery with garden center and the Tausend93 restaurant in the Seehotel Maria Laach. The Villa Reuter, the exhibition house of the Maria Laach carpentry workshop, also invites you to linger. The monastery restaurant offers attractively priced food, while the farm store in the visitor parking lot sells meat and products from organic farming in the Laach lake area.

In addition to the monastery's own businesses and the abbey church, Lake Laach contributes to the special recreational value of Maria Laach. At 3.3 square kilometres, it is the largest lake in Rhineland-Palatinate and attracts swimmers, sailors, surfers and hikers alike. The lake was formed around 12,900 years ago by the eruption of the Laacher See volcano, the volcanic origins of which can still be seen in the mofettes today. The beauty of the place is not only due to the lake itself, but also to the dense, reed-covered shores, which are dotted with water lilies and are a paradise for rare water birds. A walk around the "Blue Eye of the Eifel" offers the best opportunity to enjoy the idyll. Well-maintained hiking trails, Nordic walking routes and mountain bike trails invite you to exercise around Lake Laach. Those who prefer to experience the lake from the water can do so in a signposted area with pedal boats and rowing boats. A boat rental service, about 5 minutes from the monastery, offers this alternative perspective on the idyllic lake.