Schönbühel Abbey

The origins of Kloster Schönbühel date back to 1666, when Count Conrad Balthasar von Starhemberg called upon the Servite monks to establish a monastery at this location. Construction began on the remains of a presumed medieval Danube watchtower, popularly known as the “Teufelsgschloß” (Devil's Castle). In the very year of its founding, work began on a Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, and the first mass was celebrated in 1667. This was followed by the construction of a Calvary in 1669 and, between 1670 and 1675, a replica of the Grotto of Bethlehem, initiated by Eleonora de Gonzaga. The official foundation of the convent took place in 1672.