Benedictine Abbey Göttweig towers 422 m above sea level on the eastern edge of the world-famous Danube valley of the Wachau. Since 2001 World Heritage Site , it is today not only an attraction for guests from all over the world, but also a spiritual center in the heart of Lower Austria, supported by a community of about 45 monks.

The monastery - also called the "Austrian Montecassino" due to its magnificent mountain location - was founded in 1083 as a monastery for a community of canons, who lived according to the Augustinian rule. In 1094 Göttweig was handed over to the » Benedictines .

Today, only remains of the medieval buildings of Göttweig are present (Erentrudiskapelle from 1072, Old Castle, crypt and choir of the church), as after a devastating fire in 1718, the baroque reconstruction of the monastery was necessary.

The imperial court architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt provided the plans for the grandiose monastery, which was begun in 1720 under Abbot Gottfried Bessel and could be completed to two-thirds.

In the museum in the Kaisertrakt , the visitor experiences this baroque splendor, such as: For example, the monumental Kaiserstiege with the ceiling fresco Paul Trogers from 1739, which is one of the most beautiful and largest Baroque staircases in Europe. In the adjoining royal and imperial rooms, the art collections of the monastery show annual special exhibitions.

On the way from the entrance to the gate at the gatehouse reception to the Stiftshof, the guest will be accompanied by the permanent exhibition " Klosterleben " , which informs about the life and work of the Göttweiger monks.