Sankt Blasien Abbey in the Black Forest

Sankt Blasien Abbey in the southern Black Forest traces its origins to a Benedictine foundation around the year 1000, making it one of the oldest monastic sites in the region. Its centerpiece, the domed abbey church, was rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1768 in a striking neoclassical style, its interior dome spanning 36 meters — rivaling many Italian basilicas in scale. Following secularization in the early 19th century, the complex passed through several hands before the Jesuits established a boarding school and gymnasium here in 1934, which continues to operate today. Visitors encounter a rare combination: a monumental rotunda rising from a quiet Black Forest valley, surrounded by former monastic buildings now repurposed for education.