A surprise awaited us in the small town of Schlierbach in Upper Austria, in which we made a stop on our journey from Burgenland to Tyrol: the baroque collegiate church in Schlierbach Abbey. We hadn't made any big plans for the few hours that we stopped in Schlierbach, as we wanted to go to the Inn Valley early in the morning the next day. Relaxing after the drive, a walk to stretch our legs and a little exercise in the fresh air - that was all we wanted after our arrival from Burgenland. in the SPES Hotel *, in which we spent the night, we were advised to take a walk to the neighboring collegiate church of Schlierbach. "You only need a few minutes on foot," recommended the lady in the hotel. "Just the thing on a hot summer day like today," I thought.
We followed the tarmac road down the steep slope, past a small wayside chapel, that leads into the town. The path always went along the ridge of the hill, with occasional views of the Upper Krems Valley below us. A bench that offered a great view of the valley looked inviting. A little later in the year I would have liked to have taken a long break here to enjoy the view, listen to the birds and watch the goings-on in the valley. The sun, which was burning down from the sky at temperatures of almost forty degrees, made us look for the nearest shady place this time. We quickly reached the town center with the municipal administration and the post office. Another bend and a few steps up the hill again, and we were at the gates to Schlierbach Abbey.
You shouldn't forget that if you want to hike
- Good walking boots are required so that you can enjoy your tours.
- A light backpack is convenient in that you can take a jacket and a bottle of water with you. If you are planning a longer hike, you need one backpack.
- Other equipment for hikers here.
- A sun hat protects on the go, because you will be out in the sun a lot.
The baroque collegiate church in Schlierbach Abbey - an architectural masterpiece
In the courtyard at the visitor center, we learned that the last tour of the monastery was already underway, but that we could also look at the church on our own. In the heat of the day, I preferred that anyway. The coolness in the church would do us good and give us the opportunity to escape the summer heat. What then completely surprised me, however, was the magnificent baroque interior of Schlierbach Abbey Church. Here we were not standing in a simple village church, but in a masterpiece of baroque architecture. I had not expected this!
Round arches with gold decorations separated the side aisles from the nave of the church. Statues of saints looked down on us from each of the pillars. The greatest thing, however, was the white barrel vault with its exuberant decoration of stucco garlands, chubby angels and ceiling paintings, which give the main room of the church a light superstructure. Here I like to sit in one of the pews to look at this baroque splendor in detail. As I learned later, the church was built in the 17th century in the Baroque style by the Italian artist family Carlone. They had furnished the interior with abundant stucco work and frescoes, which even take today's viewer breathless when faced with this example of baroque architecture unprepared.
History of Schlierbach Abbey
Also interesting is the history of the congregation. Once stood on the site of the collegiate church of Schlierbach a castle. I can well imagine her watching over the upper Krems valley below. Even today, from the hills above Schlierbach offers a wide view of the Kremstal. But that was a long time ago. 903 was built by a Swabian count named Zwentibold in this place. From the 14. Cistercian women moved there in the 16th century. They administered the castle until the secularization, in the course of which the nunnery was dissolved. After that, the castle was empty for decades and decayed increasingly. Only in the year 1620 Styrian monks came to Schlierbach and began to renovate the buildings. From 1672 to 1712, the Carlones finally created their Baroque masterpiece, which is still managed by Cistercian monks.
Unfortunately, we found out too late that Schlierbach Abbey has its own cheese dairy where we could have watched cheese being made. Well, maybe next time!
The next morning we had a little taste of the region's regional produce at breakfast at Hotel SPES. Cheese and regional sausage specialties from Upper Austria were just the thing for an early start to the day and for our onward journey to Tyrol.
You can book a room at the SPES Hotel here:
SPES Hotel
Panoramabeg 1
4553 Schlierbach
Austria
Further information, current availability query and convenient online booking*
Camping in Schlierbach
Rent your motorhome here. Or do you like traveling with it instead? roof tent on the car? In addition, the overnight stay in camping tents is possible.
You can also visit Schlierbach with a camper van. The town offers a campsite at the Mostschenke, Föhrenweg 7, 4553 Schlierbach, Austria.
Here you find everything you need for a camping holiday. With our RV packing list Plus, you'll never forget anything again.
Why is a folding e-bike useful when camping?
Excursion tips in Upper Austria:
Do you know anything else?
- St. Peter in Bad Waldsee
- Enjoy a break for the soul in these monasteries
- Göttweig Abbey in the Wachau in Austria
- Melk Abbey in Austria: Baroque monastery in the Wachau
Other Trips to Savor and Gourmet hotels in Austria you can also find here.
Source Stift Schlierbach: research on site. We would like to thank Genuss Reisen for the invitation and support on this trip. However, our opinion remains our own.
Text Stift Schlierbach: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Video: © Copyright Petar Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
