Ottobeuren is a town famous for one of the most beautiful baroque monasteries in Germany. The entire complex, due to its scale and monumentality, is sometimes called the Swabian Escorial.
The Benedictine Abbey of Ottobeuren was founded in the 8th century and developed as one of the most important monastic centers in the region. It was destroyed several times during its history as a result of wars and fires, so that no traces of the original medieval building have survived to this day.
The abbey owes its present appearance to the great reconstruction undertaken in the 18th century by the then abbot Rupert Ness. The monumental Church of the Holy Trinity, which is Ottobeuren's greatest attraction, was then erected. Its interior is richly decorated with paintings and stucco decorations. Late-baroque monastic buildings with representative halls were also built, including the Imperial Hall, which is now used to organize concerts.
There is a Monastery Museum in the abbey presenting collections of religious art, liturgical items and documents from the history of the congregation.
