Lilienfeld Abbey

Lilienfeld was founded in 1202 by Duke Leopold VI, who is buried in it, and the buildings that survive make it the largest medieval abbey complex in Austria - the church, cloister, chapter house, dormitory and refectory largely intact in the transitional style between Romanesque and Gothic, with the sober proportions Cistercian building rules imposed. The cloister with its fountain house is the set piece. The library holds around forty thousand volumes in a baroque hall. Unlike Melk or Göttweig the abbey was never given a full baroque rebuilding, so what you see is medieval fabric with baroque furnishing inserted, which makes it the better place to understand how a Cistercian house was actually laid out. The community is small and the abbey is quiet compared with the Danube houses.

What you actually see

• The largest medieval abbey in Austria - church, cloister and claustral ranges intact.
• Transitional architecture - Romanesque going over into Gothic, plainly Cistercian.
• A baroque library hall - around forty thousand volumes.
• Leopold VI's tomb - the founder buried in his own abbey.

When to go

All year. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Access is by guided tour at set times, mostly in German. The church is cold. It is much quieter than Melk, which cuts both ways - fewer crowds, fewer facilities.

Nearby

The Traisental runs south to Mariazell; Sankt Pölten is north.