ABBAYE DE LORSCH

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, Lorsch Abbey is an exceptional site in the heart of the small town of the same name. The"Königshalle" (or"Torhalle"), an ancient monumental gateway from the Carolingian era, lies at the heart of the abbey on a hillock, and has survived intact, making it the best-preserved Carolingian monument north of the Alps. The exterior is easy to admire, while the interior is open daily with hourly guided tours (only at weekends in low season). Access to the site as a whole is free of charge, and only admission to the museum is charged.

Founded in 764, the abbey took on a major dimension in 876, when it became the burial place of the Carolingian rulers of the eastern part of the kingdom. The monastery enjoyed a period of prosperity, even becoming a benchmark for the practice of modern medicine at the time. A fire ravaged the abbey in 1090, but reconstruction began in the ^12th century. In 1232, the Benedictine monks were replaced by Cistercians when Lorsch came under the rule of the Electorate of Mainz. The Carolingian heritage deteriorated over the centuries and through the vagaries of history. With the Protestant Reformation in the Palatinate, monastic life at Lorsch came to an end, around 1556.

Apart from the 1200-year-old, intact entrance hall, the main abbey building and surrounding walls can be seen on site.