Rinchnach Priory

The monastery of Rinchnach was founded before 1019 by the Benedictine monk Gunther, who came from Niederaltaich Abbey. Emperor Conrad II granted extensive land to the monastery in 1029. From 1040, Rinchnach served as a provostry of Niederaltaich Abbey. In 1243, the provostry was destroyed by fire but was quickly rebuilt, and the church was reconsecrated in 1255. Over time, the monastery acquired further estates and privileges, including vineyards in Austria and the right to brew beer from 1321. In 1332, the village of Bärnzell was founded through an initiative of Provost Friedrich Rößel. Hussites burned down the monastery in 1488. A fire in 1597 and severe mistreatment by Swedish troops during the Thirty Years' War (1641) also affected the monastery. Following a lightning strike in 1693 and a plundering in 1703, a comprehensive reconstruction began in 1708. In the course of secularization, Rinchnach Abbey was dissolved in 1803, and its extensive landholdings were auctioned off.

The former Rinchnach Abbey is situated in the municipality of Rinchnach in the Regen district of Bavaria, Germany, at an elevation of approximately 561 meters above sea level.

The former abbey church now serves as the parish church of Rinchnach. The current church building dates from 1438, with the tower erected in 1721. From 1727, a comprehensive Baroque redesign of the church was carried out by Johann Michael Fischer, who transformed the interior into an oval shape and commissioned frescoes by Andreas Haindl. The frescoes depict parallels between the life of John the Baptist and the monastery's founder, Gunther. The furnishings include a high altar by Benjamin Schreidter from around 1770 with a painting by Franz Anton Rauscher.

• Weißenstein Ruin (Ruin, approx. 4308 m away)
• Former Convent and Girls' School of the English Ladies (Convent, approx. 8822 m away)
• Oberzwieselau Castle (Castle, approx. 9884 m away)
• Oberfrauenau Manor House (Manor and Estate House, approx. 10300 m away)