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. Please watch the video The Weinstadt 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 […]