Nonnberg Abbey

Also known as stift-nonnberg

Nonnberg Abbey has been a working convent since around 714, making it the oldest continuously operating women's monastery north of the Alps. That is not a tourist claim. The nuns are still there, and they open the church for visitors in the mornings, though the convent itself stays closed.

Nonnberg Abbey, founded around 714, is the oldest continuously operating women’s convent north of the Alps. The church is open to visitors in the mornings and contains a remarkable late Gothic winged altarpiece from around 1498. The convent itself remains closed. Most visitors arrive because of The Sound of Music: Maria von Trapp was a postulant here before leaving as a governess to the Trapp family in 1926. The monastery’s actual story runs back to Saint Erentrudis, Rupert of Salzburg’s niece, who founded the community and is buried in the crypt. The approach from Kajetanerplatz passes through a medieval stone gateway with rooftop views over the old town. Free entry. 10-minute walk from Mozartplatz.