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

Sandra M! (11 months 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 (2 years ago)
Great spiritual place

Christian Popescu (2 years ago)
Very friendly priest showed us around and told us about the trappists. Also, nice little shop with homemade produce like cheese.

Tomas Damjanovic (2 years ago)
It was founded by Franz Pfaner in the second half of the 19th century, while Banja Luka was still ruled by the Turks. In 1869, a group of 7 monks from the German abbey Mariavald came to Banja Luka and founded the Trappist monastery "Maria Zvijezda".

Radenko Šolaja (3 years ago)
Trappist monastery is a place that everyone should visit, regardless of religious beliefs. It is a locality with a very rich history. At the height of its development, it has contributed a great deal to the development of the city of Banja Luka, having the first hydroelectric power plant in the Balkans, a brick mill, a brewery, and the widely known Trapist cheese still made by word of mouth.

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