Mariastern Abbey, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mariastern Abbey is a Trappist abbey in Bosnia and Herzegovina, situated near the country's second largest city Banja Luka. It was founded in 1869 by trappist Franz Pfanner. It consists of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1873) and the monastery of Trappist monks. It is the only Trappist monastery in Southeastern Europe. At the beginning of the 20th century, with 219 monks, the Abbey was the largest Trappist abbey in the world; today it is the smallest, with only two monks.

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User Reviews

Alex O (2 years ago)
Very peaceful atmosphere. The shop provides the famous Trappist cheese + a variety of wines, beers and liquors, all locally produced. There is a large parking lot opposite the monastery.

Sandra M! (3 years ago)
We came to the convent for cheese. What we didn't know was the opening hours of the store. If you go to buy cheese, beer or some other product, you can call and the store will open for you. Next to the monastery is a hospital, as well as a large parking lot.

Stjepan Sušac (4 years ago)
Great spiritual place

Batinar Damjan (4 years ago)
its cheap people are good and if you are in daily hospital you get chocky milk and choco bananas

Christian Popescu (4 years ago)
Very friendly priest showed us around and told us about the trappists. Also, nice little shop with homemade produce like cheese.

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The church of the former Franciscan monastery was built probably between 1515 and 1520. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki (Rauma river).

The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary. The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420.

The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.

The choir of the two-aisle grey granite church features medieval murals and frescoes. The white steeple of the church was built in 1816 and has served as a landmark for seafarers.

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