Walderbach Abbey

Around 1140, Burgrave Otto I of Riedenburg founded an Augustinian canons' monastery, which was converted into a Cistercian monastery in 1143 and settled by monks from Waldsassen Abbey. The monastery, dedicated to Saint Nicholas, developed into an important spiritual center and served the Babonen family as a burial site. In the 13th and 14th centuries, Walderbach experienced a period of prosperity, solidified by extensive donations and the protection of Pope Innocent IV. The Hussite Wars led to destruction, and in 1556, the monastery was dissolved during the Reformation. After a refoundation in 1669 by Cistercians from Aldersbach and a Baroque renovation of the monastic buildings, the final secularization occurred in 1803. The monastery church became a Catholic parish church, while other parts of the buildings were used for various secular purposes.

Walderbach Monastery is situated in the municipality of Walderbach in the Bavarian district of Cham, at an elevation of approximately 365 meters above sea level.

Today, one wing of the former monastic buildings houses the District Museum of Cham. The original monastery church serves as a Catholic parish church and is known for its Romanesque architecture and preserved ornamental paintings.

• Former monastery tavern (approx. 100 m away)
• Former monastery judge's house, later schoolhouse (approx. 124 m away)
• Reichenbach Monastery (approx. 2159 m away)
• Lobenstein Ruin (approx. 4718 m away)