Banz Abbey

The monumental Baroque church at Banz Abbey was designed by architect Johann Dientzenhofer and completed under the direction of his brother Johann Baptist Dientzenhofer. The Dientzenhofers were one of the most prominent architectural families of the Baroque period in central Europe. The church overlooks the Main valley near Bad Staffelstein in Bavaria.

Banz Abbey is situated near the town of Bad Staffelstein in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. The former Benedictine monastery sits on a hillside above the Main River. Visitors often combine a trip to Banz Abbey with the nearby Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (Vierzehnheiligen), another Dientzenhofer-designed landmark.

Yes, the former abbey complex can be visited and has served various cultural, conference, and exhibition purposes since the monastery was dissolved. The Baroque church interior is a major draw for visitors. The building is one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Franconia.

Banz Abbey was originally founded in the eleventh century as a Benedictine monastery. It was extensively rebuilt during the Baroque period, with the current architectural form dating primarily from the early eighteenth century. The abbey's long history spans nearly a millennium of religious and political change in Bavaria.