Page 175 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Austria

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The richly ornamented library in the 12th-century Augustinian Vorau Abbey
when Emperor Friedrich III two identical towers. One wing 8 Pöllau
ordered it to be burned to the contains the cloister; in the other Road map F4. * 6,000.
ground, following a rebellion wing are the prelacy and the n (03335) 4210.
led by Count Andreas magnificent fresco- and stucco- ∑ naturpark-poellauertal.at
Baumkircher. Today its main adorned library with its low
sights of interest are the barrel-vault ceiling. On the Pöllau lies at the centre of a
parish church with a lovely floor above is the cabinet national park, surrounded
Renaissance altarpiece and of manuscripts, decorated by woodland, vineyards and
its picturesque old houses, with ceiling paintings of walking trails. The town’s
including the house of the Gods, the Virtues main attraction is the former
Johannes Brahms at and The Immaculate. Augustinian Abbey and, above
No. 4 Wiener Strasse. It con tains some all, the lovely St Veit’s church.
Also worth visiting 415 valuable Built between 1701 and 1712
is the Winter Sports manu scripts, by Joachim Carlone of the
Museum which has including the oldest famous family of architects from
the world’s largest annals of poetry in Graz, this is a splendid example
collection of objects the German of Styrian Baroque. The building
and memorabilia language – the is vast: the main nave and
relating to all aspects Bust of Johannes Brahms, Vorauer Handschrift presbytery measures 62 m (203 ft),
of winter sports. who lived in Mürzzuschlag and the famous the transept 37 m (121 ft) and
Kaiserchronik. the dome is 42 m (138 ft) high.
E Winter Sports Museum The abbey church, dedi cated The vaults and the inside of the
Wiener Strasse 13. Open 9am– to St Thomas, acquired its dome are decorated with
12:30pm & 2–5pm Tue–Sun. sumptuous decor in 1700–1705. trompe l’oeil frescoes by Mathias
Closed 1 Jan, Shrove Tuesday, It has a main altarpiece by von Görz, depicting the four
1 Nov, 24–25 Dec, 31 Dec. & Matthias Steinl, who also fathers of the church, two
created the beautifully orna- Augustinian saints and the 12
mented pulpit. apostles. The main altarpiece
7 Vorau The small nearby town of Vorau has a monumental painting
Road map F4. * 4,800. @ also has an Open-air Museum by Josef Adam von Mölk
n Stift Vorau (03337) 2351. (Freilichtmuseum) with a fascin- showing the martyrdom of the
ating collection of typical homes patron saint St Veit.
On a remote hill stands the and public buildings (school,
12th-century Augustinian Vorau phar macy, smithy) from the Environs: About 6 km (4 miles)
Abbey. In the 15th cen tury, the neigh bouring villages, complete northeast of Pöllau, high up
abbey was turned into a fortress; with their distinctive furnishings. on Pöllauberg, stands the
its present form is the result of 14th-century Gothic pilgrimage
alterations made throughout E Open-air Museum church of Maria-Lebing, with
the 17th and 18th centuries. The Tel (03337) 3466. Open Apr–Oct: vault frescoes by Mölk and two
main entrance has symmetrical 10am–5pm daily (Jul & Aug: 9am– statues of the Virgin Mary – from
wings on both sides, adjoining 5pm daily). & the 15th and 17th centuries.

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