Kartause Ittingen

About the garden

People have lived and worked at Kartause Ittingen for centuries, leaving their mark not only on the monastery’s architecture but also on its gardens. As time went by, small gardens turned into large garden areas where vineyards, hop yards, vegetable gardens and gorgeous flower gardens combine into a unique whole.

In early summer, more than 1,000 rose bushes transform the garden into a romantic sea of blossoms. Old views of the former monastery show that the monks took great care of their gardens, and each of their cells came with a little garden. The two cloister gardens at the centre of the monastery, however, served as places of silence and meditation. The extended area within the outer enclosure was used by the lay monks and servants to grow vegetables.

When Viktor Fehr bought the monastery after its dissolution in 1848, the area within and around the monastery continued to be used as vegetable and fruit gardens. The Baroque garden and the prior’s garden, however, became places for representation and recreation, and today, the Baroque garden is a popular backdrop for festive occasions.

The cloister garden has always been a place for growing fruit trees and on Sundays, the monks used the large cloister garden for their recreation. The hop gardens west of the monastery’s walls are dedicated to the cultivation of hops, famous for giving ‘Ittinger Amber’ beer its unparalleled flavour. The hops grown in the small garden are used for tea, tea mixtures and scented sachets.

A walk through the impressive gardens and monastery grounds reveals the life and work of people here, both now and in the past as history blends with the present – from the thyme labyrinth and medicinal herb garden to the fruit orchards and the largest collection of historic roses in Switzerland.