Cute place in the Allgäu, with a very long history, going back to Celts and Romans. During Roman times, the town was known as Cambodunum. The initial monastery built around 700 became one of the most important in the Frankish Empire. Most importantly, in the 13th century Kempten was granted the status of Free Imperial City and the abbot was given the title of Duke.
In the 17th century, the Baroque St Lorenz Basilica was built as the abbey church. It was consecrated in 1748. After the monastery was dissolved in 1802, when Kempten was occupied by the Bavarian troops, the basilica became a parish church.
The Residenz was built on the grounds of the initial monastery and it was the residence of the Duke Abbot. The Residenz was built between 1732 and 1742. I found it quite beautiful and worth visiting though you can only visit it with a guide. We were in Kempten in October 2021.
