Stift Göttweig

Krems an der Donau

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Founded in 1083, the abbey was devastated by fire in the early 18th century and so sports an impressive baroque interior. It's still a working monastery today. Aside from the sublime view back across the Danube Valley from its garden terrace and restaurant, the abbey’s highlights include the Imperial Staircase with a heavenly ceiling fresco painted by Paul Troger in 1739, and the over-the-top baroque interior of the Stiftskirche, which has a Kremser Schmidt work in the crypt.

Fully guided tours take in the abbey’s Imperial Wing, church and summer vestry; shorter tours explore either the Imperial Wing or the church and vestry.

The best way to reach Göttweig is by train from Krems (10 minutes, hourly), though it’s a steep walk uphill from the village station.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • First courtyard of Baroque Benedictine Abbey Stift Melk.

    Stift Melk

    16.09 MILES

    Of the many abbeys in Austria, Stift Melk is the most famous. Possibly Lower Austria's finest, the monastery church dominates the complex with its twin…

  • Landesgalerie NÖ

    Landesgalerie NÖ

    2.85 MILES

    From one side it looks like a squashed cube, from the other as though it's about to topple over – welcome to the latest addition to Krems' Kunstmeile: a…

  • Forum Frohner

    Forum Frohner

    2.87 MILES

    Part of Krems' Kunsthalle network, this contemporary white cube is named after the artist Adolf Frohner and is housed in the former Minorite monastery. It…

  • Kuenringerburg

    Kuenringerburg

    4.68 MILES

    Kuenringerburg, the castle high on the hill above the town, is where Richard the Lionheart was incarcerated from 1192 to 1193. His crime was insulting…

  • Schloss Artstetten

    Schloss Artstetten

    20.75 MILES

    Built from the ruins of a 13th-century medieval castle and tinkered with for 700 years, Artstetten castle gained fame and glory after passing into the…

  • Rathausplatz

    Rathausplatz

    11.18 MILES

    The Rathausplatz is a pretty town square lined with cafes and eye-catching pastel-coloured buildings. It is dominated by the Rathaus (town hall) on its…

  • Schloss Schallaburg

    Schloss Schallaburg

    17.05 MILES

    This palace is famous not only for its stunning architecture but also for the innovative exhibitions it houses, along with its lovely gardens. A wonderful…

  • Pfarrkirche St Veit

    Pfarrkirche St Veit

    3.18 MILES

    Known as the ‘Cathedral of the Wachau’, the large baroque parish church boasts colourful frescos by Martin Johann Schmidt, an 18th-century local artist…

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Nearby Krems an der Donau attractions

1. Rathausplatz

2.82 MILES

Stein's pretty and impressive central square: look for the 18th-century Steinerathaus.

2. Schürerplatz

2.83 MILES

Stein's lovely square with the baroque Mazzettihaus at its centre.

3. Landesgalerie NÖ

2.85 MILES

From one side it looks like a squashed cube, from the other as though it's about to topple over – welcome to the latest addition to Krems' Kunstmeile: a…

4. Karikaturmuseum

2.86 MILES

Austria’s sole caricature museum occupies a suitably tongue-in-cheek chunk of purpose-built architecture, its spiky facade tearing the blue Austrian sky…

5. Forum Frohner

2.87 MILES

Part of Krems' Kunsthalle network, this contemporary white cube is named after the artist Adolf Frohner and is housed in the former Minorite monastery. It…

6. Kunsthalle Krems

2.87 MILES

One of the main attractions on Krems' Kunstmeile, the Kunsthalle has a program of changing exhibitions. These might be mid-19th-century landscapes or hard…

7. Museum Krems

3.16 MILES

Housed in a former Dominican monastery, the town’s museum has collections of religious and modern art, including works by Kremser Schmidt, who painted the…

8. Pfarrkirche St Veit

3.18 MILES

Known as the ‘Cathedral of the Wachau’, the large baroque parish church boasts colourful frescos by Martin Johann Schmidt, an 18th-century local artist…

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