Reichersberg combines the Baroque history of its abbey with nature experiences along the Lower Inn. The abbey is located directly on the Inn Cycle Path and the European Via Nova pilgrimage route; at the same time, you can explore the Inn floodplains on foot or by bike, away from road traffic. This gives you a choice for your stay between cultural history and time in the river landscape—or a combination of both interests. Specific highlights range from guided tours of the abbey’s rooms to the Canon’s Path and seasonal birdwatching.
Reichersberg Abbey: History and Art
According to tradition, the Augustinian Canons’ Abbey of Reichersberg was founded in 1084. Wernher and Dietburga von Reichersberg founded a monastery at their castle. After a devastating fire in 1624, the abbey was rebuilt in the Baroque style over the course of the 17th century; today it is one of Upper Austria’s most significant Baroque buildings.
On guided tours, you are shown around the church, cloister, and library. If a tour is important to you, check the dates in advance. The abbey parish church of St. Michael invites you to pray, spend time, and pause. Its ceiling frescoes were created by the Munich court painter Christian Wink in 1778/79—a specific art-historical highlight within the abbey complex.
Paths by the Abbey and Through the Inn Floodplains
The Canon’s Path starts in Reichersberg’s market square. It is about 2.45 kilometres long and has an elevation gain of 45 metres. The route passes the abbey and crosses an oxbow lake on a wooden footbridge. The route description therefore includes both the town centre and a distinctive crossing over the water. The abbey is also located directly on the Inn Cycle Path and the Via Nova, the European pilgrimage route.
You can experience the Inn floodplains on foot or by bike, away from road traffic. The “Floodplain Forests on the Lower Inn” European protected area includes Reichersberg and covers a total of 579.26 hectares. This lets you treat cultural routes and nature experiences as different highlights of your stay, without having to combine them into a fixed itinerary.
Floodplain Landscape and Birdwatching
Reichersberg has an easily accessible birdwatching station that offers close-up nature experiences. Check the local signs to the station before you travel. In spring and autumn, you can also observe bird migration along the Lower Inn. These seasons give nature enthusiasts a specific point of reference for planning their trip; birdwatching is not assumed to be part of a guided programme.
Religious Traditions, Arts and Crafts, and Wine Shop
The Dobl Chapel also conveys the local religious history: it was repeatedly the destination of processions and supplicatory walks, giving it a certain character as a place of pilgrimage. The chapel is considered a heritage monument worthy of preservation and has been shaped by popular piety and historical events.
The abbey hosts its arts and crafts market every year in November. Around 100 exhibitors present their crafts in the abbey courtyard, the centuries-old vaulted cellar, and the abbey’s grand rooms. If the market determines your travel dates, check the exact event dates before you travel.
The abbey wine shop offers a culinary highlight, with wines, liqueurs, and spirits produced in-house as well as products from other Austrian abbeys and monasteries. If you are coming specifically for a particular product, check the current selection in advance.
Discover more destinations: Tumeltsham, AurolzmĂĽnster, Kirchdorf Am Inn, Eberschwang, Kirchheim Im Innkreis, Geiersberg, Andrichsfurt, MĂĽhlheim Am Inn
See the overview of the wider area: Ried Im Innkreis.
