Kloster Vessra was a Premonstratensian monastery founded in the 1130s by the Hennebergs and remained their house monastery for its 400 year existence. It was turned into a private estate after the Reformation in 1543. A similarly long history as a private agricultural enterprise led to its stint as a public farming concern in East Germany after WWII. It has been home to the Hennebergische Museum since 1900. This open air museum features an array of charming building relocated in the stunning setting.
lovely scenes from Kloster Vessra
The centerpiece of the charming ensemble are the ruins of the Romanesque church, the most extensive example of the style in the region. I quite enjoyed wandering around Kloster Vessra, and wound up staying longer than planned. I particularly found the reflective ponds relaxing.
ruins of the Romanesque Church
The small village is nestled in the largely rural Hildburghausen county of Thuringia. It is part of the Fränkischer Reichskreis (Franconian Imperial Circle), hence its inclusion here due to Franconian history and dialect. The Hennebergische Museum is open daily most of the year but comes alive for an annual festival held in May. For the intrepid beer traveler, the most intriguing if not beautiful building is the Brauhaus.
Kloster Veßra Dorbrauhaus
98660 Kloster Veßra
Themar Station 3 km/regular bus but limited bus service
Opening hours:
General museum hours are 9:00 to 18:00 from March until October/beer only available at the festival
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History
Kloster Vessra Dorfbrauhaus dates back to 1734 and brewed into the 1970s. After a 30 year hiatus, they renovated it in 1999 but kept it very much old school. They have been brewing on a small scale since the year 2000.
Dorfbrauhaus equipment
As you might expect, a visit is like one to a brewery museum but in this case, it is an operating one. If you’ve been to similar communal breweries in the region, it is nothing out of the ordinary. In a truer sense, this makes you realize just how special all of them actually are. We often romanticize a return to the past but these make it obvious that things were a bit harder “back in the day.”
the Museumsfest at Kloster Veßra
Museumsfest
The Museumsfest takes place in May and dates are advertised on their website. It is possibly the most crowded day to visit but it’s certainly not overly so. There was a live band playing traditional music with bench seating. Various stands sold hand crafted items and sausages, much like many folk festivals. Since they were spread amongst the various half-timbered buildings, you could easily browse while taking in the museum sights. Along with the typical Thuringian Bratwust and ubiquitous Festival staple Steaksemmel, there were a few larger meals. One popular stand was selling a large variety of cakes.
Bratwurst & cakes & beers, oh my!
Klosterbräu
I opted for the Rinderbrust, which was similar to beef brisket. It was pricey as festivals go but a very large portion. The rhubarb cake was amazing and had my wife wishing she’d been able to accompany me. The big draw is that the tasty Klosterbräu beer is available on tap as well as on-liter swing top bottles. While they also had a Strecks Brauhaus stand, I stuck to the Klosterbräu as it’s only available for this once a year festival.
Dorfbrauhaus beer, Rinderbrust & rhubarb cake
Beers on tap: Klosterbräu.
Getting there to Kloster Vessra
The trip to get to Kloster Vessra from Bamberg was a bit long but worth it. I’d go again. Though Coburg isn’t in Thuringia, it is a bit of a hub for accessing it. It depends on the day of week and time of travel. It’s certainly easier by car if you have a designated driver. This might prove easier than is typical as there’s lots to do for the non-drinker too.
Similar beer experiences: Köslauer Rennweg Brauer and Bräuhaus Dörflis.
These places are generally closed to the public so the best way to visit them is to find out when they have an event. The next one on the calendar is the Köslauer Rennweg Brauer Braufest on June 6th & 7th in 2026.
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