NAHE - Disibodenberg Monastery Loop Trail

The slope of the Disibodenberg stretches picturesquely across the confluence of the Glan and Nahe rivers. The monastery ruins are barely visible among the treetops.

Nestled within the romantic park dating from the mid-19th century, the monastery ruins lie on the mountain’s plateau. From here, you have the most beautiful view of the valleys of both rivers.

Even the Celts chose this mystical place as a sacred site. The Romans built a temple to Jupiter here. The mountain’s namesake, St. Disibod, settled at the foot of the mountain as a hermit in the 7th century. Finally, in the 12th century, Benedictines erected a massive monastery complex. St. Hildegard spent her first 39 years in the monastery here as a cloistered nun. In the High Middle Ages, Cistercians took over the monastery and led it to economic prosperity.

After the Reformation, the monastery fell into disrepair and was used as a quarry by neighboring towns. Archaeological excavations in the 1980s uncovered the foundation walls, so that visitors today can get a good impression of the imposing complex, which spans 2.5 hectares.

Tour length: 3.6 km
Duration: 1.5 hours
Elevation gain and loss: 120 m
Lowest point: 134 m
Highest point: 217 m