At the northern foot of the Wienerwald, 12km/7.5mi north of Vienna, lies Klosterneuburg, separated from the Danube by a broad belt of meadowland and famous for its Augustinian abbey. The extensive abbey complex on a hill above the Danube owes its existence to a gift made by the Babenberg Margrave Leopold III, the Saint, in the 12th century. In 1730 the Emperor Charles VI started to build a new abbey, but work came to a standstill in 1755, and it was not until 1842 that it was completed, albeit on a reduced scale.
In the Kierling part of Klosterneuburg, in what used to be the Hofmann Sanatorium, the room in which the poet Franz Kafka spent the last days of his life has been made into a memorial in his name.
To the southwest of the Klosterneuburg Abbey lies Rathausplatz, with the Rathaus on its southern side, and adjoining this the Babenberger-Halle (1969), a multi-purpose hall catering for congresses, dramatic performances, sporting events, etc. Nearby is the Rostockvilla (museums) and there is also an archaeological museum in St Martin's Church.
About 12km/7.5mi west of Tulln, the little town of Zwentendorf (182m/597ft; pop. 3,000) has a parish church remodeled in the Baroque style and a castle of 1750. Near the town is the first Austrian nuclear power station which was built in 1978 but has never been put into use following a national referendum.
Address: Zwentendorf Tourist Office, Rathausplatz 4, A-3435 Zwentendorf, Austria
Read More
Read Less
Read More
Zwentendorf, Austria
