Discover castles and abbeys

Emperor Franz Joseph's family has always had a close relationship with Bad Ischl, so it was only logical that the Emperor and his Sisi received as a wedding gift the house in the beloved Salzkammergut town that is now known as the Kaiservilla. From 1854 onwards, Franz Joseph spent his summers in the property, which seems quite modest by imperial standards. Until the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the Emperor graced "his" Ischl with his presence during the warm season. Today, visitors can still marvel at the imperial living quarters and then stroll among the shady trees through the extensive imperial park.

Franz Joseph was the last, but not the first emperor to honour Upper Austria with his presence. At the end of the 15th century, Emperor Frederick III fled Vienna to escape the onrushing Hungarians. And settled in Linz for the last years of his life. The castle on the Römerberg offered him a beautiful view of the Danube. Nevertheless, he remained the only emperor to stay in Linz for longer. The palace became barracks and a prison, and in 1800 the south wing burnt down. Today, the formative building above the old town of Linz is Austria's largest universal museum in one location. And with the addition of the south wing in 2009, it also provides a modern urban accent. Tip: Enjoy the view of the old town from the palace terrace.

At the very time when Emperor Frederick III resided in Linz, he gave Heinrich and Siegmund Prüschenk permission to build a castle on a hill above the small town of Grein on the Danube. In 1495 Greinburg Castle was completed, making it one of the first castles in Austria and also in the German-speaking world. The castle with its wonderful arcaded courtyard is now owned by the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha family. The historic ceremonial rooms with the Knights' Hall can be visited. Particularly impressive: the Sala Terrena, which is laid out with a mosaic of Danube pebbles. The castle also houses the Upper Austrian Maritime Museum.

Full of views - that is the first attribute that comes to mind when visitors look at Schloss Weinberg in Kefermarkt. The castle with its characteristic circular wall and distinctive tower with onion helmet is enthroned on one of the ridges so typical of the landscape of the Mühlviertel in northern Upper Austria. Guided tours of the castle, which houses a provincial education centre, are possible by appointment. Weinberg is also famous for its castle brewery. Housed in an outbuilding of the castle, the beer of Upper Austria's first pub brewery is brewed here in copper brew pans.

You can't invent such a backdrop: Lake Traunsee, the Traunstein and in front of it the lakeside castle of Ort, whitewashed with its tower. Aporopo's tower: It bears the date 1092 and thus provides the oldest clue to the beginnings of the castle. It became known to a worldwide audience through the television series "Schlosshotel Orth" produced from 1996 to 2004. The lakeside castle, incidentally one of the most popular wedding venues in the Salzkammergut, has a "sister castle" on the shore in the form of the Ort country castle. The castles are known to Habsburg connoisseurs as the residence of Archduke Johann Nepomuk Salvator, who disappeared on a sailing trip in 1890. The lakeside castle houses the "Orther Stub'n" restaurant with a magnificent view over Lake Traunsee.

777 is the year in which the Benedictine Abbey of Kremsmünster was founded. It was founded by Bavarian Duke Tassilo III on the spot where, according to legend, his son Gunther suffered a fatal hunting accident. Less legendary but nevertheless exciting was Tassilo's confrontation with his opponent Charlemagne. A medieval political thriller with a well-known outcome - Duke Tassilo had to step down from history. What Kremsmünster has left of its founder, however, is one of the most important cultural treasures in Upper Austria - the Tassilo Chalice, a wonderful early medieval goldsmith's work that can be admired in the art collections of the monastery. Also worth seeing: the 50-metre-high tower with the monastery's natural science collection and the observatory.

Saint Florian, the patron saint of Upper Austria, died as a martyr in 304. His burial place soon became a place of busy pilgrimage and, as a logical consequence, a monastery was built on this site, the Abbey of St. Florian. A monastery that was reformed in 1071 and has been home to the Augustinian canons ever since. The monastery is visible from afar on a hill, the magnificent high baroque building was designed by the architects Carlo Antonio Carlone and Jakob Prandtauer. St. Florian became famous as the place where the composer and organist Anton Bruckner worked. He was buried at his own request under the "Bruckner organ" in the crypt of the monastery basilica. The musical tradition of the monastery is still alive today. As a venue for concerts and as the home of the St. Florian Boys' Choir.

A tragic family story stands at the cradle of Reichersberg Abbey on the Inn. The only son of Wernher von Reichersberg was killed in an accident. And so, in 1084, the wealthy nobleman decided to found an Augustinian canon monastery on the site of his castle. Over the centuries, the monastery grew into today's Baroque building complex with its beautiful location on a slope above the Inn River. In 1779 the monastery, together with the Innviertel region, passed from Bavaria to Upper Austria. Reichersberg is an important stage stop on pilgrimage routes such as the Via Nova. The Inn Cycle Path also passes directly by the monastery. The monastery is not only attractive for sightseeing. With its guesthouse, it also invites you to spend the night.

Forest, forest and more forest. The Bohemian Forest, where Upper Austria, Bavaria and Southern Bohemia meet, is still a densely wooded area today. However, the region was almost inaccessible in the Middle Ages. Until the Premonstratensian canons arrived in 1218 and founded the Schlägl monastery. The monastery and town still bear the name of the felling and clearing of the forest. But the monastery is best known for its typical Mühlviertel beer specialities from the monastery brewery. More than 400 years of brewing experience marry in the brew kettles with the best ingredients, which come directly from the region. Visitors can see for themselves on a guided tour of the brewery.

Engelszell Abbey is the first stop on a journey along the Danube from Passau to Linz. It was originally founded in 1293 as a typical Danube monastery by the Cistercian Order, but was closed by Emperor Joseph II in 1786. In 1925, Trappists who had to flee Alsace took over the abandoned monastery buildings. And founded Austria's only Trappist convent there to this day. A treat for friends of modern art is the ceiling fresco in the nave of the collegiate church. It was redesigned by the artist Fritz Fröhlich after damage in the 1950s. Connoisseurs also swear by the Engelszell liqueurs brewed according to secret recipes and the strong Trappist beers from the monastery's brewery.

A castle originally stood on the site of Schlierbach Abbey in the Upper Krems Valley. The site was already temporarily occupied by nuns in the Middle Ages. In 1620, the Cistercians took over and founded Schlierbach Abbey in the form it still has today. The monastery complex with its magnificent hillside location above the valley dates from the late 17th century. The economic mainstay of the monastery community is, in addition to a traditional stained glass factory, the monastery cheese dairy known for its organic products, specialising in spicy soft cheeses with red culture. The show dairy provides exciting insights into the production process. Then it's off to a tasting with a view in the"Panorama Sitft Schlierbach".