Benediktinerstift Lambach
Founded in 1056, this Benedictine abbey lies in Lambach, 16km (10 miles) southwest of Wels and about 24km (15 miles) north of the Traunsee, where the Traun River meets its tributary, the Ager. Drive southwest for 16km (10 miles) along Highway 1 (referred to on some maps as Hwy. 144), following signs to Lambach.
The once Romanesque monastery, which stands on Marktplatz (Market Square) of the old market town, now sports a baroque exterior. A towering marble gateway from 1693 leads into the first courtyard.
In the so-called ringing chamber, you can see one of the abbey's major attractions, 11th-century Romanesque frescoes. These works of art were once hidden but later discovered. They were restored in 1967 and put on public view, an event hailed by the Austrian press.
The abbey's other attractions include a richly decorated library and a rather sumptuous refectory from the 18th century. The abbey church was built in the 1650s, and it is believed that its main altar was designed by the celebrated baroque architect J. B. Fischer von Erlach. The only surviving monastic theater in Austria, built in 1770, is reached by a stairway.
Founded in 1056, this Benedictine abbey lies in Lambach, 16km (10 miles) southwest of Wels and about 24km (15 miles) north of the Traunsee, where the Traun River meets its tributary, the Ager. Drive southwest for 16km (10 miles) along Highway 1 (referred to on some maps as Hwy. 144), following signs to Lambach.
The once Romanesque monastery, which stands on Marktplatz (Market Square) of the old market town, now sports a baroque exterior. A towering marble gateway from 1693 leads into the first courtyard.
In the so-called ringing chamber, you can see one of the abbey's major attractions, 11th-century Romanesque frescoes. These works of art were once hidden but later discovered. They were restored in 1967 and put on public view, an event hailed by the Austrian press.
The abbey's other attractions include a richly decorated library and a rather sumptuous refectory from the 18th century. The abbey church was built in the 1650s, and it is believed that its main altar was designed by the celebrated baroque architect J. B. Fischer von Erlach. The only surviving monastic theater in Austria, built in 1770, is reached by a stairway.
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