Thanksgiving Market at Plankstetten Monastery

30 Years of Monastic Life Open to Visitors

Since the 1990s, the Benedictine Abbey of Plankstetten has opened its walls once a year for the large Thanksgiving Market. In 2026, the 30th anniversary edition is scheduled – reason enough to recall how unusual this event is in the South German monastic landscape. Few monasteries maintain such an open, visitor-oriented format that simultaneously showcases the monastery's spiritual roots and the economic activities of the Benedictine organic farms.

"Arts and Crafts and Traditions" as the Motto

The festival motto "Arts and Crafts and Traditions" shapes the selection of exhibitors. In the monastery courtyards and inner quadrangle, regional vendors from the Upper Palatinate, Altmühltal, and Middle Franconia present:

• Monastery Products from the Plankstetten workshops – organic bread from the monastery bakery, monastery honey, wine and liqueurs from the monastery cellar, organic beef from the monastery's agriculture
• Arts and Crafts: Wood carving, wool processing, felt art, ceramics, blacksmith work
• Farm Market Goods: Vegetables, fruits, cheese, honey, eggs from regional organic farms
• Traditional Foods: Homemade jams, liqueurs, fine brandies, smoked specialties
• Seasonal Items: Thanksgiving-specific products – pumpkins, harvest wreaths, autumn decorations

Monastery Specialty Beer and Delicacies

A culinary highlight is the naturally cloudy monastery specialty beer, freshly tapped. The abbey operates its own brewery based on the traditional Benedictine model. In addition, various stalls offer vegetarian dishes, grilled items, and sweets. Organic quality is programmatic: Plankstetten has been a pioneer of ecological agriculture managed by the monastery for decades.

Live Music and Children's Program

The sonic backdrop is provided by brass bands from the region. Concerts of various formats are spread across the weekend at several locations within the monastery grounds. For children, there is a dedicated children's program with hands-on activities, demonstrations, and small animations – designed as a family event that connects young and old.

Plankstetten Monastery – A Living Monastery

The Benedictine Abbey of Plankstetten is located in the Anlautal valley in the municipality of Berching, district of Neumarkt in the Upper Palatinate. Founded in 1129, the monastery was an important spiritual center until secularization in 1806; it was resettled from 1904 onwards. Today, around 25 monks live in the monastery, which, in addition to liturgy and educational work, specializes in ecological agriculture, natural foods, and construction (Klosterstein, Bauhof). The Thanksgiving Market is one of the most important showcases of this economic and spiritual profile.

Berching in the Altmühl Jura

Berching is a small, historic town in the Sulz valley, on the Main-Danube Canal, and at the gateway to the Altmühltal-Jura Nature Park. With its completely preserved town walls, it is considered one of Bavaria's most beautiful small towns. The Thanksgiving Market at the monastery can be excellently combined with a visit to Berching's old town.