Eibingen Abbey (St. Hildegard)

The Abbey of St. Hildegard stands on a hill above the village of Eibingen, about two kilometres from Rüdesheim's town centre. It is a large, handsome neo-Romanesque building completed in 1904, home to a community of Benedictine nuns who have maintained Hildegard of Bingen's traditions of farming, wine-making, and crafts.

The abbey church can be visited, and contains remarkable modern mosaics and altarpieces. The abbey shop sells wine from the community's own vineyards (the labels are worth picking up), along with herbal preparations, art prints, and religious items. Guided tours of the abbey are available — check the abbey's schedule. The site offers good views over the Rhine from its elevated position.

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A story
Hildegard of Bingen, one of the most remarkable figures of the medieval church, founded the original Rupertsberg convent in 1150 and the Eibingen convent in 1165. She composed over 70 sacred music works, wrote extensively on natural history and medicine, and had visions that she described in illustrated manuscripts. The modern abbey was built in 1900–1904 and the Benedictine nuns continue to produce wine, cheese, and herbal products using recipes descended from Hildegard's own writings.

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