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 Room contains an amusing bed featuring carved Turks, which gives a whole new meaning to the idea of sleeping with the enemy!

A high point of the tour is the Altdorfer Gallery, displaying 14 paintings by Albrecht Altdorfer (1480-1538) of the Danube School. The sombre and dramatic scenes of Christ and St Sebastian reveal an innovative use of light and dark. Altdorfer cleverly tapped into contemporary issues to depict his biblical scenes (for example, one of Christ's tormentors is clearly a Turk).