Carolingian westwork

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Church
World Heritage designation for the Carolingian Westwork and Civitas Corvey
The former Benedictine monastery of Corvey was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in June 2014. It is therefore a monument of exceptional universal value and outstanding significance for the cultural history of mankind.

The 1,200-year-old 9th-century westwork of Corvey is one of the few Carolingian buildings to have been preserved in its essential parts and is the only surviving example of the westwork building type from this period. The original vaulted hall with columns and pillars on the ground floor and the main hall on the upper floor, surrounded on three sides by galleries, make Corvey one of the most striking examples of the 'Carolingian Renaissance'.

This is particularly true of the original artistic decoration on the ground floor and especially on the first floor, with life-size stucco figures and mythological friezes, which are still visible in the elements that have survived. They are the only known example of the reinterpretation of ancient mythology in the Carolingian period.

The building and its furnishings are a powerful reminder of the Carolingian world of ideas, which became fundamental to Western history.

A World Heritage Site repositions itself to reflect the times
 
On the occasion of the 1200th anniversary of the former Benedictine monastery, the World Heritage Site on the River Weser is repositioning itself thoroughly and in keeping with the times. In the Westwerk, the heyday of the monastery in the Middle Ages and the original architectural design of the Carolingian period are unfolding with the aid of modern media technology, without interfering with the fragmentary original substance.
 
With the help of panels, visitors then make their way to the choir of St John. Its colourful decoration comes to life on the screens, along with important life-size stucco figures.
 

Good to know

Openings

Price info

Admission to Huxarium Garden Park Höxter (Remtergarten and Archaeological Park)
Day ticket 8,00 €
Reduced day ticket € 6.00

Season ticket 50,00 €
Season ticket reduced 40,00 €

Season ticket combined ticket 80,00 €
Season ticket combined ticket reduced 70,00 €

Huxarium Garden Park and Corvey World Heritage Site combined ticket
Combined ticket 19,00 €
Combined ticket reduced 17,00 €

All children under the age of 18 have free admission.
Information on reduced prices: Berechtigt für Ermäßigungen sind alle Besucher:innen ab 18 welche nachweisbar folgende Bedingungen erfüllen: Schüler:innen, Studierende, Auszubildende, HuxoriPass, Ehrenamtskarte, Grad der Behinderung ab 60%.

Eligibility

  • Bad Weather Offer

  • Suitable for any weather

  • for Groups

  • for Class

  • for individual guests

  • Suitable for the Elderly

Payment Options

Cash

Directions & Parking facilities

If you are travelling by car, enter "Corvey" as the navigation address in your navigation system.
Coach parking available.

Contact person

Kath. Kirchengemeinde St. Stephanus und Vitus Corvey
Marktstraße 19
37671 Höxter

Nearby

Getting there
Karolingisches Westwerk
Corvey
37671 Höxter