Sakrallandschaft Innerschweiz

Central Switzerland is home to interesting places of pilgrimage as well as sacred buildings of art historical and national importance. This is where you can find out about monasteries, convents, places of worship and pilgrimage paths, as well as about making a pilgrimage and the region's treasure trove of cultural, artistic and gastronomic gems.

Flüeli-Ranft is where the saintly Nikolaus von Flüe, otherwise known as Brother Klaus, is remembered. Born in 1417, he left his family at the age of 50 to live a further 20 years as a hermit in the nearby Ranft gorge, fasting and serving God. The timber hermit's cell lies hidden between steep hills.

The whole area around the cell is considered a "place of power". It's thought that Brother Klaus survived on little food thanks to the energy levels emanating there.

The Benedictine monastery of Engelberg is inextricably linked with the history of this pretty mountain valley since its founding in 1120. Forming the heart of the monastery is the baroque abbey church. The simplicity and at the same time the richness of this place of worship is intriguing. Thanks to its location in the middle of the mountains, Engelberg (alt. 1000 m) is a popular starting point for hikes in the Engelberg valley and outings to the Titlis or the Brunni area.

The abbey church contains the largest organ in Switzerland: it was built in 1877 by Friedrich Goll of Lucerne. Engelberg Monastery regularly holds cultural events and concerts.

The monastery assumes a central role in Catholic Switzerland and remains a popular place of pilgrimage for visitors from abroad. The precincts are considered one of the most important cultural treasures from the baroque era north of the Alps. On entering the forecourt of the church, you sense the power of this place.

Sample the healing waters of the Fountain of Our Lady. When you walk through the large portal of the abbey church, prepare to be awed by the wealth of sacred and architectural art. Everything around you tells the story of the last 1000 years.