Stift St. Lambrecht

About the museum

The Benedictine monastery St. Lambrecht was founded in the late 11th century at the instigation of Carinthian Margrave Markward of Eppenstein; his son Duke Henry III of Carinthia completed the foundation. From here, Lambrecht monks founded the pilgrimage site Mariazell in 1157, which the monastery still maintains.

After the collapse of the Romanesque basilica, the current Gothic monastery church was built by 1421, with the Peter Church added in 1424. After a devastating fire in 1471, the monastery received its Baroque rebuild from 1639, with the south wing to the market continuing until 1750. Under Joseph II the monastery was dissolved in 1786 and restored in 1802. Seized in Nazi times, it served 1942–1945 as an annex to the concentration camps Dachau, Mauthausen and Ravensbrück; the monks returned in 1946.

The collections reflect over nine centuries of monastery history. For the 950th anniversary in 2026, the monastery museum was largely redesigned and places the human being at the center: Romanesque and Gothic church furnishings, Baroque sculptures and paintings, the liturgical treasury, the prelate's hall and the Baroque crib are part of the tour. With the Radiant Crown Madonna and the Lambrecht votive tablet, two major works long loaned to the Joanneum have returned.

An extended tour additionally shows Father Romuald Pramberger's folk culture collection and Father Blasius Hanf's bird collection, who conducted ornithological research in the 19th century at the nearby Furtner pond.

Highlights

• Monastery museum redesigned for 950th anniversary in 2026
• Radiant Crown Madonna and Lambrecht votive tablet in original
• Liturgical treasury and prelate's hall with founder and abbots' portraits
• Baroque crib and large model of monastery complex
• Gothic monastery church, Peter Church and Romanesque ossuary
• Folk culture and bird museum at the extended tour

Permanent exhibitions

• Stiftsmuseum: Was ist der Mensch? – Anniversary tour newly staged with artworks from nearly all periods since monastery founding, from Romanesque furnishings to Baroque sculptures and paintings, including treasury and crib.
• Volkskundemuseum von P. Romuald Pramberger – Father's folk culture collection from the early 20th century, part of extended monastery tour.
• Vogelmuseum von P. Blasius Hanf – Ornithological collection from Father's 19th-century research, also seen at extended tour.

Founded

1001

Operated by

Benediktinerstift St. Lambrecht

Admission & discounts

Admission only with tour. Prices for monastery tour; extended tour costs 15 € (children 10 €, groups 13 € or 8 €).

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

By car from Klagenfurt direction via B 83 to Neumarkt, from Graz/Vienna direction via S 36 and B 96 to Scheifling and Teufenbach, each via Mariahof station to St. Lambrecht; from Salzburg direction via Tamsweg and Murau.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Monastery and nature park shop with products from monastery and region (Mon–Fri 9–12 and 2–5 p.m., summer and Christmas holidays also Sat 9–12 p.m.).

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit