The abbey precinct surrounds the basilica with the eighteenth-century claustral buildings — long classical wings now used as a school, conference centre, and the museum below — built after the original medieval cloister was abandoned. The Place du Marché, just outside the gate, marks the limits of the old monastic enclosure.
A walk through the abbey gardens is free; entrance to the historic buildings depends on what is currently open. The basilica and its crypt are always accessible. The museum in the abbey cellars covers the manuscript scriptorium that made Echternach famous across medieval Europe.