Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Nationalpark Kalkalpen
This little-known, almost untouched wilderness of rugged limestone mountains, high
moors and mixed forest is home to the elusive golden eagle and lynx. Bordering Styria,
this is Austria's second-largest national park after Hohe Tauern. Its valleys and gorges cut
through classic alpine landscapes, dominated by
Hoher Nock
(1963m). It's particularly pop-
ular with hikers, cyclists and rock climbers in summer and cross-country skiers in winter.
Kompass map 70 (1:50,000) covers the park and its trails in detail. For more information
on activities, visit the ultramodern
Nationalpark Zentrum Molln
(
07584-36 51;
www.kalkalpen.at
;
Nationalpark Allee 1;
9am-4pm Mon-Fri, to 2.30pm Sat & Sun May-Oct, 8am-noon & 1-4pm Mon, Tue & Thu,
8am-1pm Wed & Fri Nov-Apr)
near the northern entrance to the park. Staff can arrange
guided tours in English and help with accommodation, including in the 15 mountain huts
within the park. Regular direct buses run from Steyr to Molln (€5.60, 53 minutes).
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Kremsmünster
07583 / POP 6460
Looming large above the fertile Krems Valley, Kremsmünster's majestic
Benedictine abbey
(
www.stift-kremsmuenster.at
; adult/child/family €7/3/14; tours 10am, 11am, 2pm, 3pm & 4pm May-Oct, 11am,
2pm & 3.30pm Nov-Apr)
dates from 777, but was given a baroque facelift in the 18th century.
Elaborate stuccowork and frescoes shape the long, low
Bibliothek
(library), where shelves
creak under 160,000 volumes, and the
Kaisersaal
(Emperor's Hall). The most prized piece
in the
Schatzkammer
(treasury) is the gold Tassilo Chalice, which the Duke of Bavaria
donated to the monks in about 780. You can visit all three on a one-hour guided tour.
The other star attraction is the 50m-high
Sternwarte
(Observatory Tower; adult/child €8/3;
tours
10am & 2pm May-Oct)
, dedicated to numerous schools of natural history. Spanning seven
floors, the mind-boggling collection steps from fossilised starfish to the skeleton of an
ice-age cave bear. It's a giddy climb up a spiral staircase to the top floor, which displays
the Keppler sextant and affords a bird's-eye perspective of Kremsmünster and the gently
rolling countryside.
