Kartause Aggsbach

About the museum

The Aggsbach Carthusian monastery on the right bank of the Danube was founded in 1380 by Landmarshall Heidenreich von Maissau and his wife Anna. It was the smallest of the three Carthusian houses in present-day Lower Austria and existed for approximately four hundred years until Emperor Joseph II. dissolved the monastery in 1782 as part of his reforms.

Following dissolution, the great cloister with the monks' cells was removed. What remains includes the Gothic monastery church, which has since served as a parish church and features Baroque furnishings and richly decorated keystones, a wing of the cloister with the burial stones of the founding couple, and the refectory. The complex also included a hammer forge, which can still be visited today.

The Society of Friends of Aggsbach Carthusian Monastery established a small Carthusian museum in some of the rooms. It tells the story of the order's founder Bruno of Cologne, the life of the silent monks, and the history of the house; in 2003 a Carthusian cell with original furnishings from a French Carthusian monastery was added. On the site of the former cells, the municipality opened a meditation garden in 2016, whose vine-covered pergolas trace the footprint of the vanished cell building.

Highlights

• Carthusian cell with original furnishings from a French Carthusian monastery
• Gothic Carthusian church with Allgäu organ in Baroque casing
• Meditation garden on the footprint of the former cell building
• Replicas of the Aggsbach altars, whose originals are in Stift Herzogenburg
• Adjacent hammer forge and mineral center Steinstadel

Permanent exhibition

• Kartäusermuseum – Small exhibition about Saint Bruno, the life of the Carthusians, and the history of Aggsbach Carthusian monastery. Featured are furnishings from European Carthusian monasteries and a furnished monk's cell.

Operated by

Verein der Freunde der Kartause Aggsbach

Admission & discounts

Instead of a fixed admission fee, a donation of 3 euros per person is requested (donation box in the first museum room or at the meditation garden); children are free. Reduced combination tickets with hammer forge and mineral center Steinstadel. Cash only.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Barrier-free restroom available.

Kids & families

• Stroller-friendly

Getting there & parking

Aggsbach Dorf is about 10 km downstream from Melk. From Krems or Melk via B33 to Aggsbach Dorf, then turn toward St. Pölten/Gansbach and follow signs to the monastery (turnoff 'Mauer / Loosdorf'); from St. Pölten via L162 via Gansbach.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Carthusian shop in the former chapter room with herbal liqueurs and light refreshments; open Thursday to Sunday and before and after group tours.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit