Easter Market Kloster Reichenbach

Kloster Reichenbach am Regen

Kloster Reichenbach am Regen is located in the Cham district in the Upper Palatinate, picturesquely situated on the banks of the Regen river between Cham and Roding. The former Benedictine abbey was founded in 1118 and is one of the oldest monasteries in Eastern Bavaria. Since 1890, the monastery has been owned by the Barmherzige Brüder (Brothers of Mercy), a Catholic order that operates a facility for people with disabilities here — the Barmherzige Behindertenhilfe.

Workshops, Garden Centre, and Monastery Inn

The workshops of the Barmherzige Behindertenhilfe and its own garden centre with greenhouses operate within the monastery grounds. Both facilities produce goods year-round — from handcrafted wooden items, ceramics, and textiles to perennials, herbs, spring flowers, and vegetable seedlings. The Easter Market is the highlight of the annual calendar, showcasing these products to a wide audience.

Spring Market with Market Stalls

In addition to the monastery's own workshops and garden centre, numerous external market vendors come to the monastery grounds. Their offerings range from Easter decorations, spring flowers, and Easter crafts to beekeeper specialties and regional food products. A barbecue stand provides main meals, the café in the garden centre's greenhouse and the cafeteria in the Paulus-Schmid-Haus serve coffee and cake, and regional specialties are served in the monastery inn.

Social and Artisanal Market Experience

The special character of this market lies in its social dimension: the employees of the workshops — people with disabilities — are themselves involved in the sales, and the monastery's atmosphere and spiritual tradition are integrated into the festive ambiance. This makes the Easter Market more than just a spring market — it is a meeting place between monastic life, inclusion, and regional culture.