8 reasons to visit Mt. Angel, Oregon
Culture, history and food collide in this Bavarian-inspired town.
Located in the rolling hills of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Mt. Angel is easy to miss on a map. The small, Bavarian-inspired town of just 3,500 people sits less than an hour south of Portland.
4/20/2017 - updated 5/4/2022
Mt. Angel’s rich history started in the mid-1800s when German-Catholic families and a group of Benedictine monks and sisters settled the area. Today, the town boasts Old World buildings, German-inspired cuisine and ornate churches. While the annual Oktoberfest celebration is Mt. Angel’s iconic attraction, the village’s history and Bavarian culture can be enjoyed year-round. Here are eight things you must do when visiting Mt. Angel:
Watch a performance at the Glockenspiel
Set in the heart of town, Mt. Angel’s world-class Glockenspiel, a four-story clock tower, is reminiscent of the ones you’ll find in Europe. The 49-foot tower tells the story of the town’s history through several hand-carved figures that represent Native Americans, German settlers, monastic communities, Oktoberfest and the future of the village. The tower comes to life four times a day with performances at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
![](https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Glockenspiel-Mount-Angel-Oktoberfest.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=b0ba57d036a539a0cfe7d6deb6d33e78 320w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Glockenspiel-Mount-Angel-Oktoberfest.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=50e467f63d63f2f11a7f89ebf6d45ee8 540w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Glockenspiel-Mount-Angel-Oktoberfest.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=0eba74628c30220f8619a05028a9cc01 768w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Glockenspiel-Mount-Angel-Oktoberfest.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=063ae96690336c8ffcc50025f5c9811d 1024w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Glockenspiel-Mount-Angel-Oktoberfest.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=0699ca265835c70113f26e1e1815959a 1126w)
Tour the Heritage Trail
Explore the town’s history while walking or biking the Mt. Angel Heritage Trail. The 5-mile loop winds through town and highlights points of interest, including the Willamette Valley Southern Rail, the Train Depot and the Queen of Angels Monastery.
Drink German beer and wine
In Mt. Angel, you’ll find plenty of lagers and ales to drink year-round. Visit one of the local bars or restaurants to grab your favorite German brew. Have your drink served in a beer stein for a true German experience. Prost!
![](https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Benedictine-Brewing-Mt-Angel.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=8679e6411015f7bcdba1caaf7a7791d8 320w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Benedictine-Brewing-Mt-Angel.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=0e323c6e7d37fae29d89d35b75bf3138 540w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Benedictine-Brewing-Mt-Angel.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=b02099de93e3b70d6056859bb7e5c88b 768w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Benedictine-Brewing-Mt-Angel.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=c08f3e7706fc739ad3f9d21f65c5ba17 1024w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Benedictine-Brewing-Mt-Angel.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=81f5bc1c3f3195f6aed36cfc555b0e17 1200w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Benedictine-Brewing-Mt-Angel.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=243b6988693dca3edf2d26c83e6b5231 1440w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Benedictine-Brewing-Mt-Angel.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=aa79844095769cd63a9bcb138775bd39 1920w)
Indulge in German fare
Mt. Angel has two restaurants that serve up authentic German cuisine throughout the year. Enjoy elevated pub fare with a German twist, including soft Bavarian pretzels or a schnitzel sandwich, at the Glockenspiel Restaurant. Pick from more than 15 types of bratwursts at the Mt. Angel Sausage Company, which was once featured on Food Network’s “Outrageous Food.” If you don’t have time to sit down for a meal, visit the sausage company’s market, which is always stocked with German foods and beverages.
![](https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Beer-Drink-at-Glockenspiel.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=12f7e1d9f2ec9be5dad8cc24380e4a5e 320w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Beer-Drink-at-Glockenspiel.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=cdd323173064fbcaa22adb476c605731 540w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Beer-Drink-at-Glockenspiel.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=f176cdb2720cc37a9c425c6df772cf4c 768w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Beer-Drink-at-Glockenspiel.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=34e82af5cdb36c9c9dc27b78e42259de 1024w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Beer-Drink-at-Glockenspiel.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=3270da4810b2e15bb54f7459fd6dde7a 1200w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Beer-Drink-at-Glockenspiel.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=a9d8a21273403a57746440dea32c8f27 1440w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Beer-Drink-at-Glockenspiel.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=ecb0f189131933037c6f4d07aebc45c0 1920w)
Attend Oktoberfest
For much of the year, Mt. Angel is enjoyed by locals visiting one of the town’s antique stores or locally-owned eateries. But each September, approximately 350,000 people descend on the quaint village to celebrate its annual Oktoberfest. With fun and entertainment for the entire family, it’s consistently ranked as one of the best Oktoberfest celebrations in the country. There’s always plenty of beer, sausage and sauerkraut to go around!
![](https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Oktoberfest-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=4a3e15ab36da454fa5ecd0ebf739f3d3 320w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Oktoberfest-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=7f6cec533b54bcc13982ef7886453ff2 540w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Oktoberfest-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=9a0a77ddbc327118d871787772d0d8f9 768w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Oktoberfest-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=11721d5af76253901bbc9bce26f84fad 1024w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Oktoberfest-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=d0f7cbc3354ebf2a4c8e8b98cc5ed5aa 1200w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Oktoberfest-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=c1deab514ad76bdada494c06bd1b56a9 1440w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Oktoberfest-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=86415a8f84ba2ce65ff52b973ffcc54c 1920w)
Don lederhosen or a dirndl
Dress in your Bavarian best while visiting Mt. Angel! From beer steins and feathered hats to goat suede bunderhosen and German dirndls, Touch of Bavaria sells traditional German and Bavarian clothing. The shop is in the town’s historic Weissenfels blacksmith building, which is still home to restored 20th-century equipment and machinery.
![](https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Oktoberfest.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=a51c6fe8acda40f43f9ab581bccd8984 320w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Oktoberfest.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=9af66bc7344765a5c49d089cd32f645a 540w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Oktoberfest.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=8dce0f2a6f6f473bfdd84ecb91fe5be0 768w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Oktoberfest.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=92cc5e46ea248a4b8c49fe58a42c0f2b 1024w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Oktoberfest.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=8e10e5848f3a1313f239af111c58ad51 1200w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Oktoberfest.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=eb852a28296ac381aabd050538aabb7e 1440w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Oktoberfest.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=e55e0b1c536b26914a73b6ca1b9b8856 1920w)
Stroll the grounds of Mt. Angel Abbey
Perched on a hilltop overlooking the town are the pristine grounds of Mount Angel Abbey. Home to a Benedictine monastery, guests are welcome to take a self-guided walking tour, pray with the monks, visit a free natural history museum, peruse the library’s rare book collection or grab a coffee at the gift shop. Following a 1,500-year-old monastic tradition, the monks of Mount Angel also brew and sell artisanal beer. Benedictine Brewery is one of only six breweries in the United States owned and operated by monks, crafting beer from hops grown on Abbey land and water from the monks' well.
![](https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Abbey.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=9681f235708904141ac81b2ffa7a90bc 320w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Abbey.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=57f547058b272894e0dfd7bb23018c6b 540w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Abbey.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=2f5cb0bc984ea754cbcd4c6f898402c4 768w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Abbey.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=0af319410a287105d112456225ed10fa 1024w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Abbey.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=a102d965e4639a1d474ae19ec2d08ad0 1200w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Abbey.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=02fe1d1f3c21aa12996cb1e1aba0df81 1440w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Mt-Angel-Abbey.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=8b9fa5f7a1c0c2b7988566be84516ba0 1920w)
Visit St. Mary Catholic Church
Referred to as the “Gothic Jewel of the Willamette Valley,” St. Mary Catholic Church was founded in 1881 by German Catholic settlers. After rebuilding four times, the present-day church was completed in 1912. The ornate building has 26 large stained-glass windows and a soaring 200-foot bell tower that can be seen for miles.