Melk and Dürnstein Abbey
Melk Abbey and Dürnstein Abbey are important sights in the Wachau, the Danube valley between Krems and Melk in Lower Austria.
Melk Abbey
The imposing and widely visible Benedictine monastery is located on the right bank of the Danube near the town of Melk. The rock on which the monastery is built may have been inhabited as early as Roman times. The monastery was founded in 1089 and completely destroyed by fire in 1297. Precious writings also fell victim to the fire. The current building was built between 1702 and 1746 under the master builder Jakob Prandtauer. Melk Abbey is a landmark of the Wachau, UNESCO World Heritage, and is visited by thousands of guests every year. An important part of the baroque, monastic ensemble is the monastery garden, which is considered a monastery park. There is, for example, a paradise garden, a meditation path and 250-year-old linden trees.
Visitors to the Danube cycle path like to stop at Melk Abbey. A visit is possible every day with and without a guide. In summer, concerts of a wide variety of musical styles are performed in the collegiate church or in the garden pavilion.
Dürnstein
One of the most famous places in the Wachau is the Kuenringerstadt Dürnstein. The former Dürnstein monastery is located on the Danube. The blue tower is a landmark. The monastery belongs to the Augustinian canons monastery Herzogenburg.
On the hills, typical, terraced vineyards are laid out for the Wachau. Due to the favorable climate, the wine thrives here splendidly. When visiting Dürnstein you should taste some of it in one of the wine taverns or an inn garden. Products made from the Wachau apricot should not be forgotten either, be it schnapps or jam. Nowhere are apricots as tasty as in the Wachau.
Dürnstein Castle, where the English King Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned in 1192/93, was located on a rock above the town. With part of the ransom, the castle could be expanded. Today the remains of the castle ruins are freely accessible via a path that is part of the Wachau World Heritage Trail.
Swarovski Crystal Worlds
Anyone traveling in western Austria will find numerous sights here. Among other things, you should definitely take a look at the Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Wattens, about 13 kilometers from Innsbruck. The fascinating world of art and adventure has countless works of art made of sparkling crystal glass in the most varied of facets and offers many different subject areas for all the senses. The heart of the Swarovski Crystal Worlds is the giant. Inside there are 16 mystical chambers of wonders. These are regularly redesigned with spectacular installations by internationally active artists. A 7.5 hectare park landscape with a wide variety of art installations was created around the giant. The approximately 1,400 square meter cloud made up of a total of 800 is also extremely impressive. 000 crystals floating above the black mirror water. The youngest visitors get their money’s worth on the play tower with four thematic levels, which can only be reached via a vertical climbing net, and the playground in the south of the garden.
Crystal Worlds open to visitors every day
The Swarovski Crystal Worlds, which have been one of the most visited attractions in Austria for years, were built in 1995 by the Austrian multimedia artist André Heller on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the manufacturer of high-quality cut crystal glass of the same name. The Swarovski Crystal Worlds are open to visitors every day. In addition, top-class events take place here on a regular basis.
