Page 150 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Austria

148  a ustria region b y region

i Amstetten
Road map E3. * 23,000. £ @
Tel (07472) 601 454.
A major transport hub, the town
of Amstetten is situated on the
Ybbs River near the border with
Upper Austria. Originally known
as Amistein, the town witnessed
the arrival of Illyrian, Celts and
Roman settlers over time. It is the
largest town in the Mostviertel
region and boasts an attractive
town hall, the 15th-century
parish church of St Stephen Attractive houses and onion-dome spires
with frescoes depicting the Last in Waidhofen an der Ybbs
Judgement, and the Gothic
Church of St Agatha. The the city’s 5e Museum, one of the
Mostviertler Bauernmuseum, most modern in Lower Austria.
A figure decorating an elevation of set in a former farmhouse,
Schallaburg Castle covers traditional country life. E 5e Museum
Oberer Stadtplatz 32. Tel (07442) 511
u Schallaburg E Mostviertler Bauernmuseum 255. Open 10am–5pm daily. &
Gigerreith 39. Tel (07479) 73 34-1. ∑ 5e-waidhofen.at
Road map F3. @ Tel (02754) 6317-0. Open call ahead. & 8
Open 9am–5pm Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm
Sat, Sun, public holidays. & Environs: The Carthusian
∑ schallaburg.at Environs: Some 6 km (4 miles) Marienthron Monastery in
southwest of the town is the Gaming, the most important
Schallaburg Castle counts as one medieval Burg Ulmerfeld, first structure of its kind in Central
of the most beautiful Renaissance recorded in the 10th century. Europe, was founded in 1332
castles in Lower Austria. It has From the 14th century until by Prince Albrecht II. The monks’
some early remains of medieval 1803, the castle belonged to cells and the fortified walls with
Romanesque and Gothic archi tec- the bishops of Freising. Later round turrets remain to this day.
ture, but these are over shadowed transformed into a paper-mill, it is Its Baroque library has frescoes
by later additions. Particularly now an important cultural centre by the Prague painter Wenzel
impressive are the Renaissance and has a collection of arms. Lorenz Reiner, his only work
courtyard and the two-storey red on display outside his Czech
and white terracotta arcades, the o Waidhofen an home land. Today, the
work of Jakob Bernecker. Carved Carthusian monastery is used
terracotta atlantes support the der Ybbs as a venue for cultural events.
second-storey arcades; sculp tures Road map E3. * 11,000. £ @ One of the best Austrian
and terracotta masks decorate Tel (07442) 511255. concert halls, it is much-liked
the lower niches and walls of the by pianists, and the annual
castle. One of the best of these is In the 16th century, this little Chopin Festival is held at
the mask of a court jester holding town in the Ybbs valley was an Marienthron in late summer.
a wand. Wilhelm von Losenstein, important centre of iron The town also has an
who owned the castle when the processing and arms produc- interesting Baroque church,
arcades were created, was a tion. Its medieval old town is several early buildings, St Mary’s
Protestant and a Humanist, a fact dominated by church spires and column and a pillory.
that is reflected in the works two towers, remains of the
commissioned by him. medieval fortifications: the
At the end of World War II, 13th-century Ybbsturm
Schallaburg Castle was totally and the Stadtturm, which
destroyed by the Russians, was raised by 50 m (164 ft)
and it was not until 1970, in 1534 to celebrate the
when it came into state admin- town’s victory over the
istration, that work began in Turks. Since then, the clock
order to return the castle to on its north side has
its former splendour. shown 11.45am, the hour
Today, the Schallaburg houses of victory. The former
Lower Austria’s Cultural and Capuchin church has an
Educational Centre, and serves interesting painting by
as a venue for excellent Kremser Schmidt from 1762. The Marienthron Monastery in Gaming, seen from
exhibitions and lectures. Another great attraction is the Prelates’ Courtyard
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p295 and pp316–18

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