The Benedictine Abbey of Göttweig - also known as the "Austrian Monte Cassino" due to its magnificent mountain location - is enthroned at 429 m above sea level on the eastern edge of the world-famous Danube valley of the Wachau. For centuries, the Göttweiger Berg has been a source of strength and a place of encounter for its visitors and residents. Today, the monastery is not only a magnet for visitors and pilgrims (Way of St. James) from all over the world, but also a spiritual center in the heart of Lower Austria.
The greeting "Pax" (peace!) is written above the entrance to the monastery. Many experience Benedictine hospitality, where there is room for more than just the good and pious. The monastery often becomes a place of new encounters with the church and faith.
Benedictine monks have been praying and working on Göttweiger Berg for more than 900 years. The aim of their lives is to glorify God, based on the Rule of St. Benedict. The monastery has 42 monks, over 30 of whom work in parish pastoral care in the dioceses of St. Pölten and Vienna. The collegiate church as a place of prayer is also the architectural center of the monastery, which has been a spiritual and cultural center for over 900 years. A visit to the richly decorated collegiate church and the simple crypt is a profound experience for many.
Göttweig Abbey was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000 - a special recognition of the supra-regional importance of the monastery.
The museum
In the museum in the imperial wing with the princely and imperial rooms, you can experience the baroque splendor of the imperial court architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. The monumental imperial staircase with the ceiling fresco by Paul Troger (1739) is one of the most beautiful and largest Baroque staircases in Europe.
The art collections of Göttweig Abbey are of supra-regional importance: Abbey library with manuscripts and incunabula collection, graphic art collection, abbey archive, music archive with autograph and instrument collection, numismatic collection, painting gallery, church treasury and much more.
Special exhibition 2021:
Father Lambert Karner - A Benedictine cave explorer
The 2021 special exhibition highlights the life's work of the Göttweig priest Lambert Karner OSB (1841-1909), who explored more than 400 caves, known as Erdställe. He published his findings in 1903 in the book "Artificial caves from ancient times" - a standard work that is still valued by experts today.
Father Lambert Karner OSB dedicated 30 years of his life to the exploration of earth stables, mysterious caves dug by humans in the Middle Ages, consisting of chambers and connecting passages. From 1896 to 1898, Karner was accompanied on his cave tours by photographer Emil Wrbata, who managed to take high-quality photographs despite the darkness of the caves.
The research of the "cave priest" Father Lambert Karner OSB is being honored as part of the Göttweig special exhibition, which is based on a cooperation between the Göttweig collections and the Bonartes Photo Institute in Vienna. The presentation of written documents, photographs and, last but not least, Karner's publication "Artificial caves from ancient times" is intended to introduce you to the pioneering work of Father Lambert Karner.
March 20 to November 1, 2021
Culinary delights with a view.
"Guests who come unexpectedly and are never absent from the monastery" were already a matter of course for St. Benedict 1,500 years ago. His rule of the order stipulated that they should have their own kitchen from which they could be easily catered for. These and many other instructions still lay the foundation for the proverbial "Benedictine hospitality" today.
Enjoy the unique panoramic view over the Wachau - let the kitchen & service team spoil you - visit the Göttweig Abbey Restaurant - since 2016 also the Genuss Wirt! You can also linger in the elegant Panorama Hall, the airy Orangery and the cozy Prälatenstüberl and Jagdstüberl. For smaller groups, the Apostelstüberl behind the thick walls of the Sebastianiturm provides a very special setting.
Whether game from our own hunting grounds, fish from the waters of the Waldviertel, wine from the slopes of the Göttweiger Berg or sweets from the Wachau apricot - the abbey kitchen and Göttweig Abbey winery have a wide range of offers for you: whether it's a wedding, family celebration, seminar, congress, company event, incentive, travel group, summer barbecue evening or simply a cozy get-together for two.
The popular Göttweiger Stiftskonzerte concerts and the contemplative Advent always invite people to stop, reflect and meet.
The simple, atmospheric guest rooms and the impressive Benedict apartment in the former abbot's living quarters also invite you to stay longer in our monastery.
Classical music under the stars 2021
World star Elīna Garanča is already guaranteeing her loyal audience a special concert evening in the atmospheric setting of Göttweig Abbey. "Hope and Confidence" is the motto for the program that Elīna Garanča has put together for Klassik unter Sternen 2021 together with her husband and artistic director, Karel Mark Chichon.
July 7, 2021
East-West Music Festival: Festive music for organ & wind instruments
with Franz Haselböck on the organ and Viennese wind ensemble under the direction of Werner Hackl.
Franz Haselböck has been associated with organ building and organ playing since his early youth. As a professor at the Pedagogical Academy in Krems, he teaches the playing technique of this instrument, and as an artist he conveys the rich repertoire of the organ. He is not only interested in the standard literature, but also in unpublished works.
July 26, 2021
