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Säben Abbey

A clifftop monastery above Chiusa, former bishop's seat and now home to Cistercian monks.

  • Bressanone
  • Church
Plan your visit
Where
Bressanone
Best for
Former bishop's seat
Allow
1 hr 30 min
Tickets
Free

Long before Bressanone existed as a bishop's seat, Sabiona held that role: from an early date until around the year 1000, this rock above Chiusa was the cathedral of an Alpine diocese, and locals still call it the Acropolis of Tyrol for the ruins and views it keeps.

After lightning destroyed the old bishop's palace here in 1535, a local canon rebuilt it as a convent, and five Benedictine nuns from Salzburg moved in when it opened in 1686, growing within a year to about thirty sisters. Their enclosed life lasted nearly three and a half centuries, ending in 2021, when Cistercian monks from Austria's Heiligenkreuz Abbey took over. Visitors reach the top on foot, climbing a Stations of the Cross path from Chiusa to the Church of the Holy Cross and the Chapel of Our Lady; the cloister stays closed to outsiders.

Four things worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. The Stations of the Cross pathPilgrim path from Chiusa

    The climb is part of the visit: chapels mark the way up the rock, as pilgrims have walked it for centuries.From the old town of Chiusa up to the monastery

  2. The Church of the Holy CrossFormer seat of the bishops of Sabiona

    The church of the old bishopric, which held that role for centuries before the see moved to Bressanone.Near the summit

  3. The Chapel of Our LadyPre-Romanesque, with a Gothic vault

    A small old chapel with a round apse and triumphal arch, the oldest-feeling space on the rock.Next to the Holy Cross church

  4. The valley panoramaNatural setting

    Locals call the hill the Acropolis of Tyrol; on a clear day the view over the Isarco valley is worth the climb.Terrace area at the top

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Tickets
Free
Booking
No booking needed
Time needed
1 hr 30 min
Best time
Weekday mornings, and clear days for the valley view from the top.
Getting there
On foot only: a Stations of the Cross path climbs from Chiusa's old town, or a longer promenade also leads up; there is no road or parking at the top.
Accessibility
Not accessible: the only approach is on foot up a steep path with many steps; there is no vehicle or wheelchair access to the top.

Free. The monastery itself is an enclosed religious community and is not open for tours; only the two churches and the chapel mentioned above can be visited.

Bring water and good shoes for the climb, and check ahead if you want to see inside the Church of Our Lady too, which opens only on select days.

Official website
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Good to know

How long should you spend at Säben Abbey?

Plan about an hour and a half including the climb. The uphill path is the main effort, and the churches themselves take less time than the walk.

How do you get to Säben Abbey?

Only on foot: a Stations of the Cross path climbs from the old town of Chiusa, and there is no road or parking at the top. Wear sturdy shoes and allow time for the ascent.

Can you visit inside Säben Abbey?

You can reach the Church of the Holy Cross and the chapels, but the cloister of the religious community is closed to outsiders. Treat it as a pilgrimage and a view, not a museum.

More to see nearby

Same city first, then the nearest across the region.

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