The monastery Einsiedeln was founded in the year 934 by Eberhard from Straßburg, who thereby united the hermits who had been living there since 835 into one Benedictine community. A donation from emperor Heinrich II comprising 229 square kilometres in size laid the cornerstone for the successful development of the monastery. There is proof that pilgrimages to Einsiedeln took place as early as the 14th century. Einsiedeln also is an important stage point on the Way of St. James. The religious centre is the miraculous image of the Black Madonna. Let yourself be inspired by the sheer size and the wealth of historical and artistic legacy, enjoy the daily hustle and bustle or the peaceful evenings in the monastery surroundings.