Himmelspforten Abbey

The Himmelspforten Monastery was founded in 1231 by Bishop Hermann I von Lobdeburg of Würzburg as a Cistercian nunnery. Originally located in Himmelstadt and dedicated to Saints Mary and John the Evangelist, the convent was relocated to Würzburg in 1253 due to repeated attacks and plundering. Pope Innocent IV had already approved this relocation in 1251. During the construction phase of the new monastery around 1248, the nuns found refuge in Schönau Monastery. Under Prince-Bishop Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn, the monastery experienced a period of prosperity with several renovations. In 1804, the monastery was dissolved as part of the secularization. After a period as a military hospital and tobacco factory, Discalced Carmelites moved in in 1844, and since 1925, they have resided in an annex. Since 1926, a part of the complex has served as an educational and retreat center for the Diocese of Würzburg.

Himmelspforten Monastery is situated in the city of Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany, at an elevation of approximately 170 meters above sea level.

Today, Himmelspforten Monastery is divided: one part is inhabited by Discalced Carmelites who produce candles, icons, and paraments. The other part serves as an educational and retreat center for the Diocese of Würzburg, which was renovated in 1967 after war damage and modernized in 2005.

• Bastion of the Baroque city fortification (approx. 1212 m away)
• Schottenkloster (approx. 1213 m away)
• Deutschordenskomturei (approx. 1337 m away)
• Monastery of the Teutonic Order (approx. 1363 m away)