200 CultureShock! Austria
Schlossstrasse
A pleasant way to pass a weekend is to meander from one castle
to the next, following the Schlossstrasse (a route that will allow you
to see fine examples of historic castles). The ‘Castle Road’ passes
through Burgenland into Styria. Some of the highlights along the
road are Lockenhaus, Bernstein, Stadtschlaining and Güssing. You
can stop to tour the castles and small museums between April and
November. Many castles offer lodging, and you can spend a quiet
evening strolling around the grounds or nearby town and enjoy a
meal with a glass of the local wine.Monasteries and Churches
Driving along the Autobahn from Salzburg and Linz to Vienna,
you can’t miss the immense yellow Benedictine Abbey at
Melk. Founded in 1089, it has an interesting library and an
awe-inspiring Baroque church. Umberto Eco’s The Name of
the Rose takes place here.
The Göttweig Benedictine Monastery perched on a hill
is also a day trip from Vienna. After viewing the crypt and
gatehouse dating from the Middle Ages and the Imperial
Wing built later, eat in the restaurant and enjoy the view of
Krems and the Danube.
Much closer to Vienna is the Augustine Monastery
Klosterneuburg, on the other side of the Kahlenberg
bordering Vienna to the north. It was founded in the 12th
century and contains the famous enamelled Verdun altar and
Gothic stained glass. Entrance to the museum allows you into
the Baroque imperial apartments, still in their original state,
and to a medieval art collection.
In Tyrol, you can stroll around the beautiful Stams
Cistercian Monastery, founded in 1273. In Upper Austria,
you can see the observatory at the Benedictine Monastery
in Kremsmünster and tour its science-related collection. The
Benedictine Monastery in Admont, south-west of Linz, boasts
the largest monastic library in the world. In Carinthia, the
Benedictine Monastery of Saint Paul is home to the largest
monastic art collection north of the Alps.
Quietly sitting in the mountains in northern Styria is the
lovely town of Mariazell and its awe-inspiring pilgrimage
church. A monk founded the church in 1157. Not long after, it