Mount Säben (Sabiona) and its monastery deserve special attention for their archaeology, history, and art. There is much to tell about this historic hilltop stronghold above Klausen: around the year 1000, the bishop’s seat was moved from Säben to Brixen. Until then, the Holy Cross Church served for about 400 years as the cathedral of the Diocese of Sabiona.
For more than 335 years, the Benedictine nuns shaped life on the Holy Mountain of Säben, until the order left the monastery in November 2021. Now a new era is beginning: since September 2024, Säben Monastery has been shining again in renewed splendour. Father Kosmas Thielmann, OCist, a Cistercian monk from Heiligenkreuz Abbey in Austria, has taken on the role of chaplain for pilgrims. His aim is to revive Säben as a spiritual centre and an important place of pilgrimage in South Tyrol.
With the support of the Diocese of Bolzano-Brixen and the local community, the monastery is to become not only a place of prayer and meditation, but also a place of encounter and exchange.
Opening hours | Churches and Säben Monastery
The Säben Monastery was home to Benedictine nuns from 1685, who lived there in prayer and work for over 300 years. After their departure in 2021, the Cistercians, led by Father Kosmas, took over in 2024, transforming it into a spiritual center for visitors.
