Göttweig Abbey, the imperial staircase above the Wachau

Göttweig Benedictine Abbey, founded in 1083, crowns a hill at 422 metres above the eastern end of the Wachau, with views over the Danube and Krems. After a fire in 1718, Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt redesigned it in Baroque style; only two thirds were finished, and it is still impressive. The visit to the museum in the imperial wing begins with the Kaiserstiege, the largest Baroque staircase in Austria, under Paul Troger's fresco of 1739, and continues through the imperial salons to the Altmanni room, with a balcony above the valley. It is open daily from March to December; the church, all year from 8:00 to 18:00. Thirty-two monks live here today.