Pielenhofen Abbey

Pielenhofen Abbey stands beside the Naab in the Oberpfalz, a former Cistercian nunnery founded in 1240 by the lords of Hohenfels and Ehrenfels. The Diocese of Regensburg now runs a school on the site, which was home to the Visitandine Sisters until 2010. The church itself became a parish church after secularisation in 1803. Earlier, in 1655, it had been a sub-priory of Kaisheim Abbey. The Baroque church still holds the tomb of Princess Maria Anna of Thurn und Taxis. The abbey church’s interior shows the work of two noted artists. Jacob Carl Stauder painted the ceiling with the Holy Trinity. Johann Gebhard, from Prüfening Abbey, created the twelve apostle pictures. The late Baroque high altar has eight columns and dominates the nave. Two three-storey towers flank the transept under a central cupola. The church remains in use for services and school events. Visitors walk past the twin towers into a quiet courtyard framed by the abbey buildings. Inside, the high altar and ceiling paintings draw the eye upward. The tomb of Princess Maria Anna adds a historical note. The surrounding Naab valley offers gentle walks beside the river. The school’s presence keeps the site alive with young voices and activity.