Monastère Ryumon Ji

Located on the edge of a forest of several thousand hectares, just outside the village of Weiterswiller (50 km north of Strasbourg), the Ryumon Ji monastery comprises several buildings surrounding a Buddhist chapel. It features a vegetable garden, a medicinal herb garden and a stone garden. Ryumon Ji Monastery was founded in 1999 by Master Reigen Wang-Genh with the help and donations of numerous practitioners from Alsace and southern Germany. Since then, nuns, monks and lay people have settled here to follow a monastic life according to the rules of the Soto Zen school. The monastery is run by Master Reigen Wang-Genh, a Zen Buddhist since 1973 and a former disciple of Master Taisen Deshimaru. Ryumon Ji is officially recognized by the highest authorities of the Soto Zen School as a place of teaching and practice. To come and practice at the monastery at any time of the year, a number of options are available. For example, it's possible to share the daily life of the monks and nuns, with a precise schedule, including several sessions of zen meditation - zazen, meals in silence, ceremonies, and so on. These are known as short- or long-term retreats. It's also possible to sign up for themed retreats.

Website of the venue · Source: Office de tourisme intercommunal de Hanau-La Petite Pierre via DATAtourisme, last updated 11 August 2026. Licence Ouverte 2.0.