Altenburg Abbey lies amidst the rolling hills of the Waldviertel (Forest Quarter), the northwestern region of the Austrian state Lower Austria. After being destroyed by the Swedes, it was rebuilt by the Benedictines. In the 18th Century the architect Munggenast undertook a transformation to Baroque, retaining most of the Gothic elements. The most significant frescoes […]
Krems and Stein – Wachau
Krems on the Danube impresses with its well-preserved old town, located directly on the banks of the Danube. The Pulverturm (magazine) is reminiscent of the Swedish sieges where Krems was hard-fought. The town is characterized by the surrounding vineyards, which also influence the cultural landscape of the town. The Weinstadt Museum (City and Wine Museum), […]
Baden near Vienna
Baden in Lower Austria lies at the thermal line, a tectonic fracture edge, in the west of the Vienna Basin. Here you find numerous bathing and health resorts. Due to the subsidence of the lowlands, small seismic events occur frequently at the edge and hot and sulfurous thermal springs partly reach the surface. Baden near […]
Zwettl Abbey and Rappottenstein Castle – Austria
Zwettl Abbey is located in the Waldviertel – Forest Quarter, the northwestern part of Lower Austria. On the way to the Waldviertel we meet the typical granite rocks of the Bohemian Massif, which contain valuable amethysts and as the forests characterize the landscape. Rappottenstein Castle, built by the Kuenringer dynasty, lies almost like in the […]
The Wachau – from Krems to Ybbs
Starting from Krems, we take the federal highway in western direction to Dürnstein. The picturesque ruin located high above Dürnstein testifies to the captivity of Richard I, known as Richard the Lionheart, King of England. He quarrelled with Leopold V, Duke of Austria, during the third crusade in the battle around Akkon. On his return […]
Klosterneuburg Monastery – Lower Austria
Klosterneuburg Monastery in Lower Austria was founded by Margrave Leopold III and his wife Agnes of Germany in the year 1114. Due to his foundation of monasteries, such as Heiligenkreuz Abbey, Kleinmariazell Sancturay and Seitenstretten Abbey, Margrave Leopold III was canonized. Since 1663 he is patron saint of Austria. 1133 the monastery was handed to […]
Gumpoldskirchen
Gumpoldskirchen in Lower Austria lies on the edge of the Vienna Basin on the slopes of the Vienna Woods. The first settlements in this area took place 6500 years ago. Wine has already been grown here in pre-Christian times. In the 19th Century, the phylloxera attacked the wine cultures and devasted them completely. Hans Moser, […]
Laxenburg and Mayerling
Laxenburg Laxenburg is today one of the many recreation areas in Vienna. Besides a large English style landscape park, the castle Franzensburg is a popular tourist destination. Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth, called Sisi spent many weeks in this idyllic surroundings. Also two of their four children were born here. Today, various institutions including […]
Wachau – From Poechlarn via Melk to Dürnstein
The area around the town of Poechlarn was already populated 6.000 years ago. Here, the Romans erected a fort. The place is known as ancestral castle of Rüdiger of Bechelaren in the Song of the Nibelungs. Only a few kilometers away is Melk with its famous Melk Abbey. Originally there was a castle, which Margrave […]
From Ybbs in Lower Austria to Mariazell in Styria
Our journey from Ybbs in Lower Austria to Mariazell begins at the power plant Ybbs-Persenbeug. The run-of-the-river hydroelectricity plant is the oldest of the Austrian Danube power plants and was put into operation in 1959. On a rock next door you can see Persenbeug Castle, the birthplace of the last Emperor of Austria, Charles I […]
