Mount Angel got its start as Roy, Oregon back in 1850. Thirty years later, Reverend Adelhelm Odermatt arrived with a group of Benedictine monks from Engelberg, Switzerland. Together, they established an abbey, a church and a school and were soon joined by a group of settlers from Bavaria. When a post office was established, they took the name “Mount Angel” which is the English translation of the town Engleberg. This sleepy little town of about 4,000 people grows a hundredfold each fall as tourists from around the world arrive for their annual Oktoberfest celebration. Mount Angel built their glockenspiel in 2006 and it is apparently the largest in the United States. It was a joy to watch when it came to life and on a quiet Sunday afternoon, I was the only one there to see it. There are some great old buildings and some beautiful cast iron signs and signposts around town which I have to believe came from the local Windischar's General Blacksmith Shop. I especially enjoyed the beer at the Benedictine Monastery’s wonderfully named St. Michael Taproom and will have to visit the monastery itself on my next visit. I definitely enjoyed wandering the streets of this little Bavarian town in the heart of the Willamette Valley and would absolutely recommend a stop to anyone passing through the area.. And if you’re there in September, you’ll be in for a real treat as their Oktoberfest looks like a heck of a good time. I hope you enjoy these photos from quaint and picturesque Mount Angel Oregon, the Willamette Valley’s Little Bavaria. Prost!
