In 1182, in the reign of Alexander III. Founded by King Béla, the monastery was already the center of the French Cistercian order in Hungary at that time. After the Turkish invasion, the building complex of the church and monastery, rebuilt in the middle of the 18th century, houses not only the exhibition of the history of the order, but also the Monument Library and the Natural History Museum of Bakony.

An insight into the everyday life of the monks who have lived in Zirc for 800 years.

The order history exhibition was established in the former orangery of the abbey. The monks who have lived in Zirc for 800 years – with minor or major interruptions – were able to gain insight into their past and present everyday life. Members of the community talk about their vocation, responsibilities, life. In addition to personal speeches, material relics also speak: artifacts, artefacts and liturgical works testifying to the centuries of the abbey were exhibited in each exhibition. The history of the Cistercian monks can be traced from the foundation of the abbey in 1182 to the present day; changes and development of the activities and tasks of the order in Hungary.