Odilia Abbey

The origins of the Abbey of Odilia date back to the 7th century when it was founded by Odilia, daughter of the Frankish Duke Eticho, on the Hohenburg. This establishment served as a convent throughout the Middle Ages and was later named after its founder. The relics of Saint Odilia have been preserved there since the 7th century, giving the abbey a special significance, particularly for the Habsburgs, who consider Odilia the ancestress of their dynasty. As a monastic institution, it existed from 1108 or 1109 and was secularized in 1790. The abbey's patronage is dedicated to Saint Leonard.

The Abbey of Odilia is located in Alsace, a region in eastern France, specifically in the Bas-Rhin department. It is situated on Mont Sainte-Odile, near the towns of Obernai and Barr, on the eastern edge of the Vosges mountains, at an elevation of approximately 750 meters above sea level.

Today, the Abbey of Odilia is the most important pilgrimage site in Alsace. It hosts ecclesiastical seminars and operates a hotel. Below the abbey complex, a spring emerges from a rock grotto, attributed to Saint Odilia, whose water is said to have healing properties for eye ailments. The area surrounding the abbey is characterized by commercially managed forests, primarily with sessile oaks and Scots pines, as well as old silver firs. On the mountain, there are also remnants of a more than 10-kilometer-long defensive wall, known as the Heidenmauer (Pagan Wall), whose origins are presumed to be in the late 7th or early 8th century.

• Niedermünster Abbey (approx. 529 m away)
• Château de Dreistein (approx. 1067 m away)
• Château du Hagelschloss (approx. 1730 m away)
• Château du Birkenfels (approx. 1780 m away)