Cistercian Monastery Rein

Uplifting for body and soul
is offered by the Cistercian Abbey of Rein and its surroundings. The baroque abbey church overshadows the picturesque landscape north of Graz in majestic beauty, and the splendid abbey forests invite extensive walks and hikes. Cistercian monks have lived in this monastery for over 800 years. The abbey library fascinates young and old alike with medieval manuscripts from the monastery's own scriptorium.

Groups and buses are warmly welcomed
Whether it's a company, school, music, senior, or parish community outing, a guided tour of the abbey is an experience! Groups of 15 or more are welcome for personalized tours at Stift Rein. Please make an appointment in advance -
T +43/3124/51621-14 or gruppe@stift-rein.at

Open doors for guests
Hospitality is highly valued at Stift Rein! Particularly impressive rooms and halls provide a beautiful and extraordinary setting for weddings, baptisms, concerts, or workshops.

Monastery for a time
Anyone who wants to get to know the ambiance of the monastery better is warmly invited to live alongside the monks for a while, celebrate services together, engage in conversations, and thus find peace.

Ora et Labora
The location of Stift Rein by a stream in a quiet valley is characteristic of the Cistercian order, which, according to the Benedictine rule of "Ora et Labora" (Pray and work!), has always placed great importance on manual labor. In 1129, Margrave Leopold the Strong called monks from Ebrach in Franconia to Rein and founded the 38th branch of the order established in 1098 in southern France. In addition to agriculture, fish farming, and crafts, the monks of Rein also operated a scriptorium. Around 300 medieval manuscripts and early prints are preserved in the abbey library, which comprises about 100,000 volumes in total.


Cultural heritage of Styria
Stift Rein received its current baroque appearance around the mid-18th century from the Graz master builder Johann Georg Stengg. The 76-meter long, 18-meter wide, and 17-meter high pillar church is among the largest and most beautiful places of worship in Styria. The painter Josef Adam Mölck left no spot unpainted, and renowned artists of the baroque period adorned the church with impressive altars and sculptures. The magnificent high altar painting "Adoration of the Shepherds" was created by the prominent Austrian baroque painter Johann Martin Schmidt (Kremser Schmidt).

Two sovereign princes of Styria found their final resting place at Stift Rein. In the crypt chapel in the altar area rests Duke Ernst the Iron, the father of Emperor Frederick III. The tombstone, which depicts the duke in full armor, is a masterpiece of Gothic sculpture (around 1425). During restoration work in the Marian chapel, the grave of the monastery founder, Margrave Leopold the Strong, was discovered in 2006. Special tours showcase this burial site, as well as interesting archaeological finds that reach back not only to the early days of the monastery but also to the Copper Age.

The oldest mining in Styria
Not far from the Cistercian Abbey of Rein, on the so-called Hochfeld, a sensational discovery has been made in recent years: Archaeological excavations, modern prospecting methods, and geoscientific analyses from the Universalmuseum Joanneum (Graz) and the Austrian Archaeological Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (Vienna) have brought to light the oldest mining in Styria.

In the new Stein.Zeit.Museum Stift Rein, the Reiner hornstone can now be displayed at its original site. The finds from Rein offer a fascinating insight into the life and technology of the early miners of Styria. They show how innovative and organized the people of the Neolithic period already were – and how an unremarkable stone like hornstone became the basis for tools, progress, and survival.

By the way, good to know
The name of the provincial capital Graz first appears in a (sadly not preserved) document from the Abbey of Rein, in which a "Dietmarus de gracz" is mentioned in 1128.

A heaven on earth - to take home
In the monastery shop, a rich selection of souvenirs, delicacies, and Christian devotional items such as rosaries, grace keys, small first communion or baptism gifts is offered. Books for all ages related to faith or the abbey, like the illustrated book "A Heaven on Earth" about the abbey basilica with impressive pictures by Father Martin Höfler, are also popular. The monastery has always appreciated culinary delights, as the saying goes, "Faith is also enjoyment." Some of these specialties are ideal souvenirs, such as juices, herbal schnapps, nervous cookies according to Saint Hildegard of Bingen, or Reiner monastery wafers.