Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
What can be seen without greasing the palms of the abbey with silver is the
Stiftskirche
(
dawn-dusk)
, a baroque church extravagantly adorned with lacy stucco, Flemish
tapestries and frescoes. The 17th-century cloisters contain the
Fischbehälter
(Fish Basin;
10am-4pm)
containing five fish ponds, each centred on a mythological statue. The trickling
of water is calming and you can feed the carp for €1.
Getting There & Away
Kremsmünster is on the rail line between Linz and Graz (from Linz €7.60, 40 minutes,
hourly). Buses to/from Wels (€3.90, 30 minutes) and Steyr (€6.40, 50 minutes) run regu-
larly.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Wels
07242 / POP 58,700
Roman-rooted Wels is the largest town in the Traunviertel. While there are few real
sights, this is a handy base for exploring rural Upper Austria. The centre is a pleasure to
stroll through, with a clutch of Renaissance and baroque townhouses hiding inner court-
yards and walled gardens. In summer the town springs to life with markets, open-air con-
certs and film festivals.
Sights
Stadtplatz
Wels' main square is framed by slender townhouses, many of which conceal arcaded in-
ner courtyards. Particularly attractive is the ivy-clad courtyard at No 18, nurturing palms,
rhododendrons and Japanese umbrella trees. At the front, glance up to spy the 2000-year-
old
Römermedallion
(Roman medallion) relief.
Nearby at No 24, the Renaissance
Haus der Salome Alt
sports a
trompe l'æil
facade and
takes its name from one-time occupant Salome Alt, mistress of Salzburg's most famous
prince-archbishop, Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau. Opposite is the refreshingly simple
Stadtp-
farrkirche
(Stadtplatz 31;
HISTORIC SITE
dawn-dusk)
, noteworthy for its Gothic stained glass.
