Page 569 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

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4 Melk and the
Wachau Hall, home to the
Museum Linz Genesis,
£ 4 Melk. n Babenbergerstrasse, which tells the history
Melk (02752-5230 7410). Benedictine of the city. The 20-m-
abbey: Open May–Sep: 9am–5:30pm (66-ft-) high marble
daily; Apr & Oct: 9am–4:30pm daily; Dreifaltigkeitssäule
winter: guided tours only (11am and (Trinity Column) was
2pm daily). & ∑ stiftmelk.at completed in 1723.
In the southeast
Melk lies at the western end of corner of the square
one of the loveliest stretches of is the Church of St.
the River Danube, the Wachau, Ignatius. Also known as
which extends some 40 km the Alter Dom, it was
(25 miles) downstream to Krems. built in the 17th century
Dotted with Renaissance in Baroque style and
houses and old towers, Melk boasts a wonderfully
itself is most famous for its ornate pulpit and
Baroque Benedictine abbey, altarpiece. Nearby, the
a treasure trove of paintings, Landhaus is well worth
sculptures, and decorative art. seeing for its three
One of its most impressive beautiful Renaissance
rooms is the Marble Hall, with The opulent interior of the 17th-century courtyards and loggia.
beautiful ceiling paintings Church of St. Ignatius in Linz The streets west
depicting mythological scenes. 5 Linz of the Hauptplatz lead
A boat trip is the best way to up to Linz’s hilltop castle, built
enjoy the Wachau, though for * 198,000. k 10 km (6 miles) SW. for Friedrich V (Holy Roman
the energetic, there are cycle £ @ n Hauptplatz 1 (0732-7070 Emperor Friedrich III) in the
paths along the banks of the 2009). ∑ linz.at 15th century. The castle
river. Landmarks to look for houses the Schlossmuseum,
traveling downstream include Austria’s third city, Linz has been with paintings, sculptures,
the picturesque castle of inhabited since Roman times, and historical artifacts.
Schönbühel and the ruined when it was a port called Lentia. On the other side of the river,
medieval fortress at Aggstein. In the early 16th century, it the Ars Electronica Center is
Though not visible from the developed into an important a superb new museum that
river, nearby Willendorf is the trading center. Although, today, allows visitors to experiment
site of famous prehistoric finds. Linz is a busy industrial city, the with the latest technological
At the eastern end of the Old Town contains many historic innovations. Hidden away in
Wachau are the well preserved buildings and monuments. the Lentia 2000 shopping mall
medieval towns of Dürnstein The Hauptplatz, one of the is the Lentos Kunstmuseum,
and Krems. The latter’s tiny largest medieval squares in containing a fine collection of
hillside streets offer fine views Europe, is bordered by splendid 19th- and 20th-century Austrian
across the Danube to the Baroque facades. Among the art, including works by Egon
Baroque Göttweig Abbey. finest buildings is the Town Schiele (1890–1918) and Gustav
Klimt (1862–1918).
For splendid views of Linz, take
a ride on the Pöstlingbergbahn
train, which climbs to the top of
Pöstlingberg Hill.
River cruises along the
Danube west to Passau, in
Germany, and east to Vienna
depart from the quay at the
Nibelungenbrücke. On-board
entertainment includes themed
events, such as a “Bavarian
afternoon” or an “Italian night.”
E Ars Electronica Center
Ars-Electronica-Strasse 1. Tel 0732-727
20. Open Tue–Sun. & ∑ aec.at
E Lentos Kunstmuseum
Ernst-Koref-Promenade 11.
Tel 0732-7070 3600. Open Tue–Sun.
Melk’s massive Benedictine abbey on the banks of the Danube & ∑ lentos.at

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