The Mini Rough Guide to Vienna (Travel Guide eBook) by Rough Guides

Author:Rough Guides
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Travel, Austria
Publisher: Apa Publications
Published: 2023-04-28T04:57:54+00:00

Britta Jaschinski/Apa Publications

Klosterneuburg abbey

The Höhenstrasse goes as far as Leopoldsberg, the very edge of the Wienerwald and the extreme eastern point of the European Alps. On a clear day, you can see about 100km (60 miles) eastwards from the terrace of the Leopoldskirche to the Carpathian Mountains in Slovakia.

Klosterneuburg

A short detour 7km (4 miles) to the north takes you to the imposing Augustine abbey of Klosterneuburg º [map] (Mon–Fri 10am–6pm, Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm; U-Bahn 4 to Heiligenstadt and then bus 400 or 402; www.stift-klosterneuburg.at). A story claims it was founded by Duke Leopold III of Babenberg in 1106 on the spot where his bride’s lost veil was discovered by his hunting dogs. In fact, its foundation is earlier, but little of the original edifice remains. Karl VI, who was very much taken with Spain, undertook major alterations in the 18th century, making it a baroque version of El Escorial. He wanted a combined palace and church with nine domes, each topped with a crown of the House of Habsburg. Only two were completed in his lifetime: the crown of the empire on the big dome and of the Austrian archduchy on the little one. Klosterneuburg also features Austria’s oldest winery, where an atmospheric and informative tour through the baroque cellars explores the 900-year history of wine production at the Augustine abbey. The tour is topped off with a wine tasting.

The baroque ornamentation is indeed impressive, but the whole trip is made worthwhile by the Leopoldskapelle, with its magnificent Verdun Altar of 1181 containing 45 enamelled panels depicting scenes from the Scriptures. It served as a graphic Bible for the poor who could not read the stories.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.