St. Peter’s Abbey

You’ve just stepped into a courtyard that holds real significance in Salzburg. The long walls surrounding you belong to St. Peter’s Abbey, the oldest monastery in the entire German-speaking world, covering Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.

It’s steeped in history. Founded around the year 696 by Saint Rupert, Salzburg’s first bishop and the city’s patron saint, the abbey was his way of bringing Christianity into the region. Dedicated to Saint Peter, the first bishop of Rome and one of Jesus’s apostles, the abbey is also home to Austria’s oldest library.

It holds over 100,000 volumes, including 800 ancient manuscripts. Unfortunately, it’s not open to the public, only researchers with special permission can access it, but it’s worth knowing that the library, redesigned in the Rococo style in 1768, is a true national treasure. Some of its oldest works date back to the 8th century, covering subjects like theology, spirituality, Church history, and monastic life. Restored in 1999, it remains a goldmine for scholars and houses some of the country’s most valuable texts.

Back to the abbey itself, it was originally built in Romanesque style, then remodeled during the Renaissance and later in the Baroque period, giving it a blend of architectural influences. In 1927, it was even elevated to the status of archabbey. At the center of the courtyard stands a fountain made from pink marble, crafted in 1673.

It shows Saint Peter, hands clasped and eyes raised to the sky, repenting for having denied Christ. Today, the abbey is still active, home to 22 Benedictine monks and a college for German-speaking students of the Benedictine order.