Religious, Spiritual sights in Austria
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Augustiner Chorherrenstift
Rising like a vision above St Florian, the Augustiner Chorherrenstift dates at least to 819 and has been occupied by the Augustinians since 1071. The main entrance is flanked by statues and is particularly striking when bathed in afternoon sunlight.
You can only visit the abbey's interior by guided tour, which takes in the lavish apartments, resplendent with rich stuccowork and emotive frescoes. They include 16 emperors' rooms (once occupied by visiting popes and royalty) and a galleried library housing 145,000 volumes. The opulent Marble Hall pays homage to Prince Eugene of Savoy, a Frenchman who frequently led the Habsburg army to victory over the Turks. Prince Eugene's…
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Augustinerkirche
The Augustinerkirche (Augustinian Church) dates from the 14th century and is one of the older parts of the Hofburg. The vaulted ceiling testifies to its unmistakably Gothic origins, and the sparse interior was converted to baroque in the 17th century before being restored to original Gothic in 1784. The stone high altar is neo-Gothic, dating from 1870. On the right as you enter is a pyramid-shaped tomb containing Maria Theresia’s daughter Archduchess Maria Christina, designed by Antonio Canova (of Theseus and the Minotaur fame, see). The Augustinerkirche, however, is most famous for being where the hearts of 54 Habsburg rulers are kept. The urns containing them can be v…
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Karlskirche
Karlskirche (Church of St Charles Borromeo) rises at the southeast corner of Resselpark and is the finest of Vienna’s baroque churches. This dramatic structure was built between 1716 and 1739, after a vow by Karl VI at the end of the 1713 plague. It was designed and commenced by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and completed by his son Joseph. The enormous twin columns at the front are modelled on Trajan’s Column in Rome and show scenes from the life of St Charles Borromeo (who helped plague victims in Italy), to whom the church is dedicated. The huge oval dome reaches 72m. The highlight is the lift to the dome for a close-up view of the intricate frescos by Johann Mich…
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Stift Klosterneuburg
Founded in 1114, the abbey’s baroque facelift didn’t begin until 1730, and wasn’t completed until 1842. The plans actually called for something much more grand, but fortunately these were not realised, leaving large sections intact in their original medieval style. The abbey’s museum contains an eclectic mix of religious art from the Middle Ages to the present. It closes in winter to individual visitors, but tours of are conducted almost hourly all year (tours in English require advanced notice). The highlight of the ‘Der Sacrale Weg’ tour is the Verdun Altar in St Leopold’s Chapel, an annexe of the church. Made in 1181 by Nicholas of Verdun, it is an unsurpas…
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Schottenkirche
At the northern end of Herrengasse, the Schottenkirche (Church of the Scots) was founded by Benedictine monks probably originating from Scotia Maior (Ireland); the present facade dates from the 19th century. The interior has a beautifully frescoed ceiling and terracotta-red touches. Although the main nave can only be entered during services at noon and 6pm to 7pm daily, it’s possible to peek through the gates. A small art and artefacts museum in the adjoining monastery displays religious pieces from the church and monastery, but of more interest is the church shop, which stocks homemade schnapps, honey and jams. On Fridays Freyung is transformed into a farmers market, f…
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Bergkirche
The white marble tomb that now contains Haydn’s reunited parts can be viewed in the Bergkirche. This unusual church began life as a small chapel and in 1701 was transformed into a bizarre representation of Calvary, the mountain outside Jerusalem upon which Christ is thought to have been crucified. Manage all the dungeon-like rooms and you’ll quite literally be feeling the Stations of the Cross in your feet; get to the top of the ‘mountain’, though, and not a gaggle of stone-throwing sinners awaits you but a fantastic view over town.
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Benedictine Abbey
Apart from the lake itself, Millstatt's main attraction is its Romanesque Benedictine Abbey, founded in 1070. This pretty complex consists of the 11th-century abbey, a graveyard that invites a stroll, and foundation buildings south of the abbey, with lovely yards and arcades. If you walk downhill along Stiftsgasse from the abbey, you see on the left a 1000-year-old lime tree. Millstatt was no exception to the practice common during the Middle Ages of holding trials beneath a tree (often a lime tree) and using the same tree for hangings.
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Stadttempel
The Stadttempel (City Synagogue), Vienna’s main synogogue, was completed in 1826 after Toleranzpatent reforms by Joseph II in the 1780s granted rights to Vienna’s Jews to practise their religion. Built in an exquisite Biedermeier style, the main prayer room is flanked by 12 ionic columns and rises into a cupola. It seats about 500 people. Visitors of the Jewish faith can phone the synagogue (Hebrew, English and German spoken) for more information about services. Arrive early to register with security, and bring your passport.
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Franziskanerkirche
This Franciscan church is a glorious architectural deception. Viewed from outside, it exudes all the hallmarks of an early 17th-century Renaissance style, yet inside it is awash with gold and marble decorative features from the baroque era about 100 years later. The impressive high altar takes the form of a triumphal arch and hidden behind this is Vienna’s oldest organ, dating from 1642, built by Johann Wöckherl. This organ is being restored and if all goes according to plan it will be wheezing heavenly tones again from around 2011.
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Church
The church, sometimes known as the Wallfahrtskirche, was built in the early 15th century from volcanic stone, some of it filched from a nearby Roman ruin. Originally Gothic, it later received Romanesque and baroque modifications. The exterior south wall is embedded with relief panels and ancient gravestones – look for the Roman mail wagon carved into one of the stones and the weird frescoes of people growing out of bulbous flowers on the church ceiling (they represent the genealogy of Christ).
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Ruprechtskirche
A few steps north of Ruprechtsplatz, Ruprechtskirche (St Rupert’s Church) dates from about 1137 or earlier, making it the oldest church in Vienna. The lower levels of the tower date from the 12th century, the roof from the 15th century and the iron Renaissance door on the west side from the 1530s. What makes this church attractive is its unusually simple exterior of ivy-clad stone walls in cobblestoned surrounds. The interior is just as sleek and worth viewing, with a Romanesque nave from the 12th century.
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Dominikanerkirche
The Dominicans first came to Vienna in 1226, when Leopold VI of Babenberg invited them to settle, but their first church, built on the site of today’s Dominikanerkirche, was dismantled during the first Turkish siege in 1529 and the stone used to fortify the city walls. The church you see today was the first baroque church in Vienna and was consecrated in 1634. It was largely the work of Italian architects and artisans and is well worth visiting for its large interior of white stucco and frescos.
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Hofkirche
Opposite the Hofburg is the majestic Hofkirche, which shelters the empty sarcophagus of Emperor Maximilian I. Elaborately carved from marble, the tomb is one of the finest examples of German Renaissance sculpture. The twin rows of 28 giant bronze figures that flank the sarcophagus include Albrecht Dürer’s statue of the legendary King Arthur, apparently Maximilian’s biggest idol. Tyrolean hero Andreas Hofer (1767–1810) is also entombed in the church.
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Minoritenkirche
The Minoritenkirche (Minorite Church) is a 13th-century Gothic church that, like many in Austria, later received a baroque facelift. If you think the tower looks a little stubby, you’re right on the button: it was ‘shortened’ by the Turks in 1529. The most noteworthy piece inside is a mosaic copy of da Vinci’s Last Supper, commissioned by Napoleon. The church hosts classical concerts and choir recitals throughout the year; schedules are often posted outside. Expect to pay about €20.
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Pfarrkirche St Oswald
A must-see if you believe in miracles is 15th-century Pfarrkirche St Oswald. It was here that Oswald Milser gobbled a wafer reserved for the clergy at Easter communion in 1384. After almost being swallowed up by the floor, the greedy layman repented, but the wafer was streaked with blood – not from foolish Oswald but from Christ, naturally. Climb the stairway to view the Blutskapelle (Chapel of the Holy Blood), which held the original wafer.
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Stift Melk
Of the many abbeys in Austria, Stift Melk is the best known. Historically, Melk was of great importance to both the Romans and the Babenbergs, who built a castle here. In 1089 the Babenberg margrave Leopold II donated the castle to Benedictine monks, who converted it into a fortified abbey. Fire destroyed the original edifice, which was completely rebuilt between 1702 and 1738 according to plans by Jakob Prandtauer and his disciple, Josef Munggenast.
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Dom
To the north of Hauptplatz is the Romanesque Dom, erected in 1279 but subsequently rebuilt. It has a rather bare and grey exterior, two severe-looking square towers, and the interior has an unbalanced look, caused by the chancel being out of line with the nave as well as an asymmetric arch connecting the two. Fifteenth-century wooden apostles peer down from pillars and there’s a baroque high altar and pulpit.
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Kirche Zur Heiligsten Dreifaltigkeit
The stack of concrete blocks that form the Kirche zur Heiligsten Dreifaltigkeit (Holy Trinity Church) is an unusual work of art. Some will find this industrial piece with little warmth exceptionally ugly, while others will see it as a triumph of the contemporary over conformity. But there’s no doubting its powerful presence. It’s more commonly known as ‘Wotrubakirche’ after its architect, Fritz Wotruba, who completed it in 1976.
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Stiftskirche
The Stiftskirche is almost overpowering: its altar is shaped from 700 tonnes of pink Salzburg marble and the huge 18th-century organ, which is literally dripping with gold, was Europe’s largest at the time it was built. To hear the organ in full song, catch one of the concerts (adult/concession with tour around €8/around €7; h14:30 Mon, Wed-Fri & Sun mid-May-mid-Oct).
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Stadtpfarrkirche St Jakob
The monolithic Stadtpfarrkirche St Jakob dominates the old town. The interior is interesting, but bring binoculars or a good zoom lens to really appreciate details of its frescoes. The far end of the nave has a stuccoed ceiling and a vast rococo altar in gold leaf, arrayed with fresh cream flowers, and its walls are studded with the ornate memorial plaques of the region’s noble families.
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Pfarrkirche St Veit
The Pfarrkirche St Veit is a baroque parish church resurrected from earlier Gothic and Romanesque forms. Its colourful frescoes are by Martin Johann Schmidt, an 18th-century local artist who was also known as Kremser Schmidt and occupied a house from 1756 near the Linzer Tor in Stein. Behind this is the Piaristenkirche, with Gothic vaulting, huge windows and baroque altars.
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Greek Orthodox Church
Built in 1861 at the behest of the Greek community, the interior of Vienna’s main Greek Orthodox church is a glittering blaze of Byzantine designs. A ceiling fresco depicting the prophets surrounded by swirls of gold is augmented by a high altar of 13 panels, each of which features sparkling gilding, and a doorway to the inner sanctum. Today, the Greek community in Vienna numbers about 10,000.
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Piaristenkirche
The Piaristenkirche (Church of the Piarist Order), or Maria Treu Church, is notable for two interior features: its ceiling frescos and its organ. The stunning frescos, completed by Franz Anton Maulbertsch in 1753, depict various stories from the Bible, while the organ holds the distinction of being used by Anton Bruckner for his entry examination into the Music Academy.
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Dom
Dom, which was built between 1140 and 1200. With its harmonious pillared crypt, this is Austria’s foremost church from the Romanesque epoch. Inside you will also find Gothic reticulated vaulting, and most of the church fittings are either baroque or rococo. The early-baroque high altar has 72 statues and 82 angel heads.
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Pfarrkirche
The slender spire of the pink-and-white Pfarrkirche rises above the village and is surrounded by a sea of filigree crosses. You can peek inside the church, but you do so at your own risk – a sign on the door issues a warning that it is not a museum!
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