Burgeis between the monastery, churches and mountain trails
Accommodation in Burgeis
Burgeis combines Marienberg Abbey, medieval buildings and remarkable churches with trails through the mountain landscape. This creates a destination where culture, activity and a family outing can be combined. Depending on your interests, the trails lead to frescoes and chapels, a themed trail about the Benedictines or a mountain lake above the village.
File:Burgeis SĂĽdeinfahrt "Runde Kapelle" Nordseite.jpg
Photo: Andreas Waldner via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Marienberg Abbey and accessible cultural attractions
Marienberg Benedictine Abbey is located at an altitude of around 1,350 metres on the mountainside above the village of Burgeis, on the road towards Schlinig and Watles. The monastery was established in the 12th century and remains a Benedictine monastery. The monastery includes the “Ora et labora” Museum, the monastery shop and the abbey church; all three are accessible. The museum is open to the public, and admission is subject to a fee.
The St Nicholas Church also offers a special occasion for a fixed-date visit: from 10 April to 30 October 2026, guided tours take place there every Friday at 5 pm. According to an inscription, the church was first consecrated around 1199. Remains of 13th-century frescoes have been preserved inside.
Churches, frescoes and FĂĽrstenburg Castle
The St Michael Cemetery Church in Burgeis has a Romanesque circular apse within the thickness of the wall. Traces of 13th-century frescoes have been preserved on the north wall of St Michael’s Chapel. The Chapel of the Holy Cross in Burgeis was built at the end of the 17th century.
Another historical highlight is the medieval FĂĽrstenburg Castle complex in Burgeis. It was built in the 13th century by Bishop Konrad of Chur. The keep of FĂĽrstenburg Castle has walls three metres thick. Together with Marienberg Abbey and the churches, this creates a village setting in which different eras become an immediate focus of a visit.
Themed trails and hikes around Burgeis
The Sonnensteig themed trail begins at Marienberg Abbey at an altitude of 1,338 metres. The section from Marienberg Abbey to Burgeis is dedicated to the Benedictines. Along the trail, information boards explain interesting facts about Saint Benedict, the irrigation channels, nature and the legends of the Upper Vinschgau.
The circular hike to the mountain lake of Burgeis begins at the information office in Burgeis. It initially follows Trail No. 3 to the mountain lake above the village, after which Trail No. 4 leads back to the village. The short Benedict Trail leads from Burgusio to Marienberg Abbey. Cyclists can also reach the monastery via a short detour from the Etsch Cycle Route.
Family outing and getting there
Above Burgeis at Watles lies the Spielesee lake, covering an area of 1,500 m². It offers children free adventure with a wooden raft, a spring, a two-metre-high waterfall and a small stream. The Spielesee thus complements the historical attractions with a playful stay in the mountain landscape.
Burgeis can be reached by City Bus 274 and scheduled bus 273. For your planning, this allows sightseeing, hikes, an outing to the Spielesee and the journey there to be considered as different focuses, without having to commit to just one type of stay.
More places for planning your trip
If you would like to see other places in addition to Burgeis, you can find Goldrain, St. Valentin auf der Haide, Latsch, Kapron, Taufers in MĂĽnstertal, Prad am Stilfserjoch, Laas and Schlanders here.
For the overarching travel overview: Vinschgau.
