Because diversity moves!
Twenty-one years have passed since the opening of the Admont Benedictine Abbey's large museum. Under the motto "Long live diversity!", a department for contemporary art, an art and natural history museum and the world's largest monastery library were united under one roof from the very beginning.
In 2017, this offering was expanded to include a Gothic museum. Diversity that appeals: From 2015 to 2019, the number of visitors increased by a full forty per cent. A growth that culminated in a record in 2021: on 5 August this year, the Abbey Museum recorded a real rush of visitors. On this day, 1,100 people visited our exhibitions. Total admissions in 2021: 70,000 - a figure that will probably soon be surpassed. Thanks to the continuous development of what is probably Austria's most contrasting private museum, we expect to break the 80,000 visitor mark in the near future.
A goal for which we have prepared ourselves well: Our new signage system will go into operation at the start of this year's season and will provide a good overview of all areas of the museum. This is because several departments had to be remodelled in order to present this year's special exhibition on the 950th anniversary of Admont Abbey in the best possible way. However, the new guidance system is not only intended to provide orientation inside the museum, but also outside. Informative site plans and signposts guide visitors around the entire site and direct them to all publicly accessible buildings and outdoor areas. Our newly designed homepage also provides a good overview: It takes you through the 950-year history of the monastery and provides valuable information about the Benedictine monastery and the anniversary year.
Good news is also in store for the Restaurant Stiftskeller Ulrich Matlschweiger, the long-standing operator of the "Hoamat" restaurant, will take over as the new tenant from 19 March. He wants to reinterpret the monastery's cuisine in the Stiftskeller and expand it with his own creations. One focus will be on company, club and family celebrations.
The guided tours we offer are as varied as the museum itself and the preparations we have made for this year's season. In addition to group tours of the library, we also organise exclusive tours outside of regular opening hours, which end with a tasting of our own DVERI PAX wines.
If you are unable to visit our museum on site, you can visit the Visit the world's largest monastery library online. The digital tour is available on discover-culture.com available free of charge. Last but not least, the virtual tour also helps to arouse curiosity about the experience on site. This is also confirmed by the length of stay of our guests: in addition to the number of day tourists, the number of those who combine a visit to the Abbey Museum with a short holiday in Admont and the surrounding area is also growing. The Benedictine Abbey thus plays an important role in the development of tourism in the region, which is just as rich in contrasts as the Abbey Museum.
With this in mind: long live diversity!
Mario Brandmüller
Economic Director of Admont Abbey Museum and Head of Tourism and Communication
Managing Director Kaiserau Tourismus GmbH
