Page 145 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Austria

L OWER A USTRIA AND BURGENLAND  143

with lovely, decorated portals. Spitz is Willendorf, where the
The former convent of St Claire famous statuette of the Venus
is now an inn; the Renaissance of Willendorf was found. This
castle a hotel. representation of female fertility
is believed to be over 25,000
years old. The figure itself is now
kept in Vienna’s Natural History
Museum (see p86), while an
over­life­sized copy stands in
a field near Willendorf.

r Spitz Remains of the formidable 12th-century
Road map F3. * 1,600. @ g Burg Aggstein
n Mittergasse 3a, (02713) 23 63.
t Burg Aggstein
On the banks of the Danube at Road map F3. g
the foot of the Tausendeimer­
berg (thousand bucket hill, so The impressive ruins of Burg
called because of the amount Aggstein, built into the rock, are
of wine it was said to produce), poised high above the banks of
nestles the enchanting town the river. Today the castle lies
The Baroque tower of the Stiftskirche of Spitz an der Donau. The river in ruin, but once it measured
in Dürnstein was once important to the some 100 m (330 ft) in length,
town’s economic life, and the with tall stairs leading to the
Schifffahrtsmuseum explores Upper Castle. Built by the noto­
e Weissenkirchen this history. rious Kuenringers, a band of
Road map F3. * 1,500. £ @ n Another famous sight is the robber barons, it served to repel
(02715) 2600. ∑ weissenkirchen.at Pfarrkirche, the early­Gothic attacks by Turks and Swedes
parish church of St Maurice, during the 16th and 17th centu­
The small village in the heart furnished in late­Gothic style. ries, thus cementing its rank as
of the Wachau Valley has The church has a presbytery one of the most important
attracted artists since 1900, who (1508), crisscross vaulting and fortresses in the region.
come to paint the magnificent elaborate window lacework. Many gruesome stories are
scenery of the Danube gorge The altar painting is by Kremser told about the castle’s early
and to enjoy the cosy inns. Schmidt. Lovely wooden statues days. Its owner, a notorious
Today, their works can be seen from around 1380, showing thief, was said to have laid in
in the Wachaumuseum, in the Christ and the apostles, are set in wait for passing barges and
Teisenhoferhof, a Renaissance niches along the Gothic gallery. demanded a hefty toll to allow
mansion. Another attraction High above the town looms them passage. Those who
is the Wehrkirche Mariä the ruin of Hinterhaus Castle, refused to pay were imprisoned
Himmelfahrt (Church of the with its Gothic bulwark and in the Rosengärtlein, a rose
Assumption of the Virgin Mary), Renaissance fortifications. garden set on a rocky shelf, where
on a hilltop, fortified against they would either die of hunger
Turkish raiders. The well­ E Schifffahrtsmuseum or jump to their death.
preserved defence towers are Auf der Wehr 21. Tel (02713) 2246. Today, the picturesque
remains of those fortifications. Open Apr–Oct: 10am–noon, 2–4pm Burg Aggstein and its café
The main entrance to the Mon–Sat, 10am–4pm Sun & hols. are popular destinations for
church is through the western ∑ schifffahrtsmuseum-spitz.at a day trip from Vienna.
portal, which has fine mouldings.
Inside, on the rainbow arch, is
a beautiful painting (1520)
of the Madonna, from the
Danube School.
E Wachaumuseum
Tel (02715) 2268. Open Apr–Oct:
10am–5pm Tue–Sun. &
Environs: Situated between
Weissenkirchen and Spitz is the
small village of St Michael, with
another example of a fortified
church. A few miles beyond The romantic ruins of Hinterhaus Castle in Spitz

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