The Monastery at Einsiedeln

Even if you're not planning on doing any cross-country skiing, the Benedictine Monastery is worth a trip to Einsiedeln (1 hour outside of Zurich). The inside of the Monastery looks like a pink and green wedding cake, it is really a masterpiece of Baroque architecture and has been recently restored. Photos inside are banned, but you can get an idea of the grandeur of the place from the outside.



Einsiedeln means "hermitage" in German. The town was named after a monk that went there in the 800s. Today it is the most important place of pilgrimage dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Switzerland. So of course, placed accordingly along side the grand place of worship are many tacky tourist shops. After all, what would a famous place of worship be without a little commercialism?