Viktring Abbey

The foundation of Stift Viktring took place in 1142 by Cistercian monks sent from Villers-Bettnach Abbey. A donation from Count Bernhard von Spanheim and his wife Kunigunde made the establishment of the monastery possible, which was dedicated to the patronage of “Our Lady of Victory.” After the installation of the first abbot, Eberhard, in 1143, the monastery church was consecrated in 1202 by Archbishop Eberhard II. Over the centuries, the abbey developed into a significant landowner, possessing 28 houses in the city and vineyards in Lower Styria by around 1488. In the 18th century, the abbey underwent extensive Baroque renovation, reflected in works such as Johann Gfall's ceiling fresco in the former library. The Josephine reforms led to the dissolution of the monastery on May 19, 1786, and the relocation of the monks on August 1, 1786. Parts of the monastic property were acquired in 1788 by the brothers Johann and Christoph Moro, who established a textile factory there. After various industrial uses, the abbey came into the possession of the Republic of Austria in 1970 and has housed a secondary school since 1977.

Stift Viktring is situated in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, the capital of Carinthia in Austria, at an elevation of approximately 462 meters above sea level.

The former abbey church, consecrated in 1202 and expanded with a Gothic choir in the 14th century, is now a subsidiary church of the Viktring-Stein parish. In the Bernhard Chapel, 15th-century frescoes were discovered in 1991 and restored by 2001. Since 1992, the church has possessed a Lenten veil. The buildings of the former monastery have served as the location for a secondary school since 1977, which has been run as an independent Realgymnasium with a musical focus since 1980.

• Maria-Loretto Castle (castle, approx. 3241 m away)
• Klagenfurt Fortress (fortress, approx. 4003 m away)
• Freyenthurn Castle (castle, approx. 4138 m away)
• Hollenburg Castle (castle, approx. 4707 m away)