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 […]
Rouen – A walk through the historic center
Rouen was the historical capital of Normandy. Since 1954, the city on the Seine River is the capital of the Upper Normandy region. Although Rouen is not on our itinerary, we decide at short notice to visit the city. Even if we only can see a small part of the city, we are thrilled. Our […]
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 […]
Hagios Demetrios – Άγιος Δημήτριος
Hagios Demetrios in Thessaloniki, Greece, is a five-naves basilica dedicated to the patron saint of Thessaloniki, Saint Demetrius. The basilica is part of the UNESCO world heritage Palaeochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki. It is the largest church in the city and was presumably built on the remains of a Roman bath where Demetrius possibly […]
Notre-Dame de Montréal
The Notre-Dame Basilica is located on the east side of the Place d’Armes in the historic district of Old Montreal. It is seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec, the oldest Roman Catholic parish church of North America and one of the largest churches in North America. The wood paneling in the Gothic Revival […]
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 […]
Cathedral Montreal -Marie-Reine-du-Monde
The Cathedral Montreal, Marie-Reine-du-Monde ( Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral), is the third largest church in the city. It is located in the central district Ville-Marie and is certainly one of the most beautiful cathedrals. After a fire destroyed the Cathedral of Saint-Jacques de Montreal in July 1852, Bishop Ignace Bourget gave the order […]
Austrian Grave in the Abbey of Stams
The Abbey of Stams is 23 miles west of Innsbruck in Tyrol, Austria. Stams is not only known for its ski school, a hotbed for nearly all Austrian ski jumpers, but also for its Cistercian Abbey. The high altar in the basilica of the beginning of the 17th century carries the symbolized representation of a […]
Admont Abbey – the oldest monastery in Styria
Admont Abbey was founded 1074 and is the oldest monastery in Styria, Austria. The Abbey Church is inspired by the Regensburg Cathedral. Today you find also a secondary school in the abbey. Abbey Library is the largest and probably the most beautiful in the world. It houses an extremely valuable collection of source material with […]
St. Florian’s Priory in Upper Austria
St. Florian’s Priory, near the town of Enns in Upper Austria, was built in the baroque style by Carlo Antonio Carlone and completed by Jacob Prandtauer. In 1071, Bishop Altmann of Passau founded the community of Augustinian Canons here. Not every day you experience a sung “Lord’s Prayer” accompanied by a Bruckner organ. The organ […]
