From Wikipedia:
Weltenburg Abbey (
Kloster Weltenburg) is a
Benedictine monastery in
Weltenburg in
Kelheim on the
Danube in
Bavaria,
Germany.
First foundation
The abbey is situated on a peninsula in the Danube, on the so-called "Weltenburg Narrows" or the
"Danube Gorge". The monastery, founded by
Irish or
Scottish monks in about 620, is held to be the oldest monastery in Bavaria.
The monastery courtyard is surrounded by
Baroque buildings, the highlight of which is the abbey church, dedicated to
Saint George, which was built by the
Asam Brothers between 1716 and 1739.
The abbey was dissolved in 1803 during the secularization of Bavaria.
Second foundation
On
25 August 1842 Weltenburg was re-founded as a priory of
Metten Abbey. It has been a member of the
Bavarian Congregation of the
Benedictine Confederation since 1858 and was raised to the status of an independent abbey in 1913.
Besides the traditional duties of hospitality, the abbey has pastoral responsibility for four parishes.
Abbey brewery
Weltenburg Abbey brewery (
Weltenburger Klosterbrauerei) is by some reckonings the oldest monastery brewery in the world, having been in operation since 1050, although the title is disputed by
Weihenstephan Abbey. Their Weltenburger Kloster Barock Dunkel was given the
World Beer Cup award in 2004 as the best
Dunkel beer in the world.
Aerial video on Facebook
