Krems an der Donau - Göttweig Abbey 
South of Krems, prominently situated on a wooded hill 269m/850ft above the Danube, stands the former Benedictine Göttweig Abbey, originally founded in 1704 by Bishop Altmann of Passau. The present buildings were begun in 1719 to the design of the Baroque architect Lukas von Hildebrandt, and work continued until 1783, leaving the plan unfinished. The parts completed were the east and north fronts, with the Kaiserstiege (1738), one of the finest staircases of the Baroque period; the ceiling painting by Paul Troger (1739) depicts the transfiguration of the Emperor Charles VI.
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Göttweig Abbey - Conventual Buildings
The convent buildings north of the Göttweig Abbey church include the Altmann Room (1731; grand hall), with ceiling frescos and paintings, the four Imperial Apartments (including the Napoleon Room) and the Cecilia Room with paintings by Andreas Altomonte and Kremser Schmidt. The library in the east wing, decorated in white and gold by Franz Amon, is very well-stocked (no access). From the balcony and the garden terrace (restaurant) there are superb views.
Göttweig Abbey Church
The Abbey church has an imposing Baroque facade with two towers (1750-65) which end in blunt pyramids. The entrance is supported on four pillars from Tuscany, with a gable above. The light nave is 17th C. and the choir is Gothic (15th-16th C.). The interior decorations and furnishings are Baroque; shades of gold, brown and blue predominate. Of interest are the altarpieces (including some by Kremser Schmidt), the stained glass behind the high altar, the choir stalls (inlaid work) and the organ. Under the presbytery lies the Altmann crypt, and in the north apse the grave of St Altmann (c. 1540).
