Göttweig Abbey

Göttweig Abbey is a baroque Benedictine monastery and often referred to as Austria's Monte Cassino because of its fantastic location.

Austria's Monte Cassino watches over the southern entry to the Wachau south of Krems like a sacred fortress.
Göttweig Abbey was founded in 1083 as a proprietary monastery and became a Benedictine monastery in 1094. It was newly built in its current baroque form in the early 18th c according to plans by J.-L. von Hildebrandt. 

As part of the Wachau, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape since 2001, the abbey is a magnet today for guests from around the world. It serves as a spiritual center in the heart of Lower Austria and is run by a community of about 45 monks.

In the museum in the imperial wing, visitors experience high baroque in all its splendor, for example, the monumental imperial staircase with the ceiling fresco by Paul Troger from 1739, one of the largest and most beautiful baroque staircases in Europe. The abbey shows its art collections in special annual exhibitions staged in the adjoining royal and imperial rooms.

The highest apricot orchard in the Wachau has been open to the public since this year. It is on the south side of the monastery and visitors can find out interesting information about apricots there.
There is a magnificent view into the Wachau section of the Danube Valley from the abbey restaurant terrace.