Mount Säben (Sabiona) and its monastery deserve special attention for their archaeology, history, and art. There is much to tell about this historic hilltop stronghold above Klausen: around the year 1000, the bishop’s seat was moved from Säben to Brixen. Until then, the Holy Cross Church served for about 400 years as the cathedral of the Diocese of Sabiona. 

For more than 335 years, the Benedictine nuns shaped life on the Holy Mountain of Säben, until the order left the monastery in November 2021. Now a new era is beginning: since September 2024, Säben Monastery has been shining again in renewed splendour. Father Kosmas Thielmann, OCist, a Cistercian monk from Heiligenkreuz Abbey in Austria, has taken on the role of chaplain for pilgrims. His aim is to revive Säben as a spiritual centre and an important place of pilgrimage in South Tyrol.

With the support of the Diocese of Bolzano-Brixen and the local community, the monastery is to become not only a place of prayer and meditation, but also a place of encounter and exchange. 

Opening hours | Churches and Säben Monastery

1. Branzoll Castle: private property, not open to visitors.
2. Chapel of Grace (Marian pilgrimage): open daily 08:00–17:00, free admission.
3. Church of Our Lady: Open July to October: Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays 14:00–17:00. Further information at the Klausen/Chiusa information office.
4. Monastery Church: Holy Mass daily at 11:30 (including Sundays and public holidays). Open daily 08:00–20:00.
5. Holy Cross Church: open daily 08:00–20:00, free admission. 
6. Monastery – chaplain for pilgrims: Father Kosmas Thielmann OCistTel. +39 378 0640185 | Email: p.kosmas@stift-heiligenkreuz.at