Stift St. Georgen
Church & Cultural Heritage
Stift St. Georgen am Längsee looks back on more than 1,000 years of history. It has always been an important spiritual and social centre in equal measure. Today Stift St. Georgen is owned by the Diocese of Gurk. Picturesquely set on a hill, the abbey delights visitors above all with its Abbey Church and its own chapel. Of the former oldest convent in Carinthia, founded in the 11th century, only a few traces remain apart from fragments of Romanesque masonry. Next to the gate in the courtyard, for example, you can see an ornamental stone from the 11th or 12th century, set into the wall. Of particular interest is the small founders’ plaque from around 1250 — on one side it depicts the heads of the founder couple and Abbess Hiltiburg with the blessing hand of God, and on the other side the following explanatory inscription: Here lies the body of the venerable Wichburg, wife of Count Otwin, and their daughter Hiltiburg, the first abbess of this convent.
The impressive Stift St. Georgen am Längsee has many corners full of discoveries. On our historic Abbey Tour, you will learn even more about the past and the present life of the abbey.
Abbey Church & Private Chapel
The Abbey Church dates from the 14th century and consists of a Gothic nave and an impressive Baroque high altar. Inside the Abbey Church you will also find an early Baroque organ, built as early as 1630. The church bell tower houses three bells, the oldest of which was cast by the Völkermarkt bell founder Benedikt Fiering in 1583. In addition to the Abbey Church, the grounds of Stift St. Georgen also include a private chapel, which is the spiritual heart of the abbey. It houses a late Gothic Madonna statue from around 1500. The cross in the chapel by Lake Längsee dates from the 18th century.
Path of Orientation
The newly created Path of Orientation, which connects the Abbey Gardens of St. Georgen in 16 stations, invites you into a threefold experience: orientation, dialogue and Christian spirituality. The aim is to be guided and accompanied on a traditionally European path of Christian faith, in a place of the good life. On our Path of Orientation you are invited to enter — through mindful walking — into a dialogue with yourself, with the people you meet, and with God. Look forward to a unique experience for you, your body and your spirit!
