Serenely nestled in beautiful countryside, Abteikirche Maria Laach (Maria Laach Abbey Church) is one of the finest examples of a Romanesque church in Germany. Part of a nine-century-old Benedictine abbey, it is next to a volcanic lake, the Laacher See, surrounded by a 21-sq-km nature reserve.
You enter the church via a large Vorhalle (portico; restored in 2009), a feature not usually found north of the Alps. Note the quirky carvings on and above the capitals and the Löwenbrunnen (Lion Fountain), reminiscent of Moorish architecture. The interior is surprisingly modest, in part because the original furnishings were lost during the 1800s. In the west apse lies the late-13th-century, recumbent, statue-adorned tomb of abbey founder Heinrich II of Palatine (laminated information sheets in six languages are available). The east apse shelters the high altar with its wooden canopy; overhead is an early-20th-century Byzantine-style mosaic of Christ donated by Kaiser Wilhelm II. The entrance to the 11th-century crypt is to the left of the choir.
Across the path from the Klostergaststätte (restaurant), a 20-minute film looks at the life of the 46 monks, who take the motto Ora et labora (pray and work) very seriously indeed. They earn a living from economic activities such as growing organic apples and raising house plants, available for purchase in the Klostergärtnerei (nursery); and they pray five times a day. Attending Gottesdienst (prayer services; hours posted at the church entrance) is worthwhile if only to listen to the ethereal chanting in Latin and German.
Various trails take walkers up the forested hill behind the abbey; options for circumambulating the Laacher See include the lakefront Ufer-Rundweg (8km) and two hillier trails (15km and 21km).
Next to the car park, a small shop sells fruits and vegetables grown by the monks, as well as other organic edibles.
Maria Laach is about 25km northwest of Koblenz and 18km southeast of Ahrweiler. It is served hourly by bus 312 from Mendig, the nearest town with a train station.
