Join us for a visit to the Benedictine monastery Göttweig and enjoy some of the most lavish Barocco architecture, art and design in Austria!
The Bishop of Passau founded the monastery of Göttweig in the 11th century The foundation charter was dated 9 September 1083 - still preserved in the abbey archives.
However, discipline in the community had become so lax towards the end of the century that Pope Urban II ordered Bishop Ulrich of Passau to introduce a specific Rule of St Benedict thanks to which, the school, library and adjacent nummery saw a flourishing culture evolving, which eventually resulted in Göttweig becoming a famous seat of learning and strict monastic observance. For instance, it is believed that the earliest German language woman poet Ava lived there until her death in 1172.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, however, the abbey declined again and between since 1556 there was even no abbot at all with all monks gone by 1564. A new abbot restored the monastery spiritually and financially but already in 1718 the monastery burned down.
A new one was built on a grander scale: the imperial staircase from the time is the largest Baroque staircase in Austria and the fresco decorating the staircase is considered a masterpiece of Baroque architecture. After you climb up to the first floor, you will see the lavishly decorated museum including the Altmannisaal, hunting room, tapestry room, Napoleon room and a passage to the archives.
The art collections of the monastery are of national importance. These include the 150000 manuscripts and books, incunabula collection, graphic collection, monastery archive, music archive with autograph and instrument collection, numismatic collection, picture gallery, church treasury, and much more. Surprisingly, al these survived WWII and its immediate aftermath almost without loss.
Since 1625 the abbey has been a member of the Austrian Congregation, currently within the Benedictine Confederation. There are some 30 monks today - you'll probably meet some during your visit!
The abbey is on the Dunkelsteinerwald Trail, or the Way of St. James and in the landscape Wachau is part of a UNESCO World Heritage and it is known for its apricot jams and wines.
The museum is fully accessible and provides also an accessible loo.
There is a fairly good restaurant with a large terrace with fantastic views over the valley. You might wish to check the regional products on the museum shop to take home.
Benediktinerstift Göttweig
A-3511 Stift Göttweig
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