Pannonhalma Monastery

Located in the western part of Hungary, about 20 km south of Győr, Pannonhalma Monastery is one of the most visited monasteries in Hungary.

Pannonhalma monastery is the earliest founded Benedictine Abbey of Hungary that has been the arch-abbacy of all the Benedictine houses from the end of the Middle Ages. As part of the millennium celebrations, the monastic complex of Pannonhalma, its collections and the nature conservation territory around the abbey were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The first church on the site was consecrated in 1003. The monastic complex originally was built in Romanesque style that underwent consecutive reconstructions in Gothic and then in neo-Gothic style. Its final fortress-like aspect was achieved as a result of the reconstructions carried out in the second half of the 16th century. 

The today’s church is basically from the 13th century, but certain parts of it may date back to the 12th or 11th centuries. The monastery had played a very important role throughout the whole Middle Ages, and used to be the centre of monastic reform movements.