Nonnberg Abbey
News
From mid-September, due to the renovation of the choir chapel, listening to Holy Mass or prayer times will only be possible to a limited extent. However, the church will be open without restrictions.
Benedictine Nonnberg Abbey lies a little above the city at the foot of the Festungsberg and is famous for its Gothic architectural elements and its murals and smaller works of art. It is also here that the story told in the Hollywood production of “The Sound of Music” begins. Widely unkown is the fact that the nuns sing Gregorian Chorals every morning.
Every morning at 6:45 am and in the evening (for detailed information, please refer to the opening hours), Nonnberg Abbey Church is filled with the sound of the nuns' choir.
Nonnberg Abbey was founded between 711-715. The early history of the convent's construction is unclear. What is known, however, is that Emperor Henry II built a Romanesque basilica around the turn of the millennium, which was consecrated to the Holy Mother of God in 1009 and has since then been the second oldest Marian church in Salzburg. Erentrudis of Salzburg was the first abbess of the Benedictine abbey. Since 1624 she has held the title of "Landesmutter Salzburgs" [Mother of Salzburg] and her tomb is in the crypt of Marian church.
The architecture of the abbey is characterised by the spirit of the Gothic period, which can be clearly seen in the abundance of the rich ornamentation. The late Gothic winged altar with the statue of Mary is the centrepiece of the abbey church. Unique in Salzburg is the crypt with its free-standing columns and magnificent reticulated vault. The tomb of St. Erentrudis is in the apse. The convent is home to a crucifix from the old cathedral dating from 1300, and the famous wall paintings from the mid-12th century are the church's greatest treasure.
The monastery gained international fame through its novice Maria Kutschera. Her abbess sent her to be a governess to the widowed Baron Georg Ritter von Trapp to look after his seven children. Shortly afterwards, Maria married the baron and founded a family choir in the early 1930s. Her story served as the model for the world-famous Hollywood film "The Sound of Music" and still inspires visitors from all over the world today.
The monastery can be reached from Kaigasse via the Nonnbergstiege staircase and from Nonntal via a narrow lane. The church as well as the cemetery are open daily from 6.45 am until nightfall (in summer until 6 pm). Visits are not possible during church services. The frescoes in the "Paradise" under the nuns' choir as well as the high altar can be illuminated.
