Our next stop was the small town of Einsiedeln.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einsiedeln
The town might have been small, but the monastery was huge. It was originally built about a fountain that had restorative water, and a lot of people undertook pilgrimages here.
Eventually a huge Baroque church was built here with the monastry surrounding it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einsiedeln_Abbey
There were at some point hundreds of monks living here, and now there are about 20 left. As the guide stated: “Not a modern career path for young people anymore.“
The church itself was not only the largest and most ornamental Baroque church we have seen in all our travels, but it also has one of the few ‘black Mary’s’ recognized worldwide.
Every blessing counts.