Baroque masterpiece: The Benediktbeuren monastery is a place to enjoy art in contemplative surroundings.

In the Wies Church rococo art reached a unique perfection. This masterpiece, created by the brothers Dominikus and Johann Baptist Zimmermann of Wessobrunn, was given international recognition a few years ago, when it was inscribed by UNESCO, the culture organization of the U.N., as a cultural site on the World Heritage List.

The "Wessobrunn prayer" (Wessobrunner Gebet), dating from the 9th century, one of the oldest witnesses of the German language, and the "School of Wessobrunn" (Wessobrunner Schule), a group of master builders and plasterers, made the monastery well-known.

The monastery`s church got its baroque appearance as we see it today in the 18th century. The twelve-cornered central building impresses with its superb stucco decorations and the ceiling fresco.

In the Andechs monastery, situated above lake Ammersee, the art lover`s well-being is cared for, too. Enjoy a glass of dark beer brewed by the monks in one of Bavaria`s most famous beer gardens.