Closer to Nature: How One Family Found Their Dream Home

"We work just as hard as monks, but not nearly as disciplined," Natalie laughs, and it's not an exaggeration. Transforming a former Benedictine monastery into a private residence requires a lot of effort, and above all, confidence that the work is not in vain but an adventure. 

Everything started when Natalie and Reinhard, typical German spouses with two sons and their own house in the suburbs of Munich, began dreaming of something greater. First, for a daughter, then for a new house – not just larger in size, but more interesting, opening up new horizons.

This restless desire led them to a former Benedictine monastery built 100 years ago and offered for sale as an unnecessary, dilapidated architectural object that had lost its relevance.

The couple appreciated the location of the monastery, its proximity to Lake Ammer in Upper Bavaria, and the overall romantic atmosphere – there was even a chapel with an altar that they left untouched. And rightly so! As it turned out later, several weddings had been held in the chapel. Natalie and Reinhard hope to witness the moment when their own children will stand before their family altar.

The new owners of the building decided not to strip it of traces left by previous inhabitants. Not only the altar, but also paintings, statues, and even old dishes – everything found its place in the house. Since the family moved here, two children, Betsy and Tony, were born, and they perceive life in the Benedictine monastery as one big adventure.

Natalie says it's amusing: "other kids play police and robbers, but ours play monks." Probably because being a monk is more interesting. And there's work to be done – collecting herbs on the wasteland, from which monks made the famous Benedictine liqueur. It is known that 27 types of herbs were needed for its production, and it is still unknown exactly which ones. But Reinhard is confident that everything will work out. Just like it worked out to turn the Benedictine monastery into a warm home for a large and close-knit family.