Einsiedeln is a monastery that grew a town around it. The story goes back to the ninth century, when a hermit named Meinrad settled in the forest here and was murdered in 861 by robbers who coveted the candlesticks of his chapel. A Benedictine community was founded on the spot in 934, and over the centuries it became one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Europe, centred on a statue of the Virgin Mary, the Black Madonna, kept in a chapel inside the church. Pilgrims still arrive from all directions, many on foot, since it lies on a branch of the Way of St James.
The abbey church of today is a great Baroque building from the early eighteenth century, with twin towers, a facade that curves gently forward into the huge square, and an interior where every surface seems to be covered in stucco, gilding and ceiling paintings. In the evening, the monks sing the Salve Regina, a tradition kept for centuries, and visitors may listen in. In the square in front, a fountain with fourteen spouts invites pilgrims to drink and wash. The abbey also runs one of Europe's oldest horse studs, which still breeds horses in its stables.
For a rider, the abbey is the centrepiece of a beautiful loop. The roads around it cross the Rothenthurm moor, a large high peat bog protected after a famous referendum in 1987, and climb and fall gently across wide pastures with views of the Mythen peaks. The surface is generally good, with moderate bends and long, open straights, though weekend traffic can be heavy. The air at around 880 metres is cool and fresh, with mist drifting over the moor in the early morning and snow arriving early in winter.
Einsiedeln is a town of thirteen thousand, so it has fuel stations, supermarkets, bakeries and restaurants, as well as many shops selling devotional items, candles and sweets. Try a piece of Schafchäs, or a local pastry, and have a coffee on the square. Parking for motorcycles is available near the abbey, though it can be busy on pilgrimage days. Respect the quiet of the church, take off your helmet, and spend a few minutes looking up at the ceiling.