You only see what you know (Goethe)
A hike over the Semmering Pass regularly ends for me in front of the railcar ÖBB 5144. This piece dating from 1951 stands on a museum track next to the building of the Semmering station. Unfortunately, it is inaccessible. So you can only enjoy the interior by a peek through its windows.
Looking at the sculptures decorating the courtyard of Schallaburg Castle (Schloss Schallaburg), you may discover the ‘Hundefräulein‘. This is a sculpture showing a lady with a dog’s head. Schallaburg Castle is a Renaissance castle located in Lower Austria and houses notable exhibitions every year.
This Baroque abbey still offers the remains of a medieval monastery in its basement, one can reach by an elevator. The complex also includes a theme garden dedicated to the different world religions located not far away from the monastery.
The estate in the Vienna Woods was first mentioned in the 13th century. In 1887, the Austrian Crown Prince Rudolf converted the facility into a hunting lodge (Mayerling Castle). On January 30, 1889, Rudolf and his mistress Baroness Mary Vetsera died here under circumstances that were not completely solved.
The inscription “Ora et Labora” refers to the motto of the Benedictines. It translates into “Pray and Work”. The depiction is located on a chimney of Seitenstetten Abbey (Stift Seitenstetten). This is a large Benedictine monastery in the Austrian region of Mostviertel.
On the way to the railway station Reichenau I cross the Schwarza on a pedestrian bridge with filigree iron construction. The view of the nearby mountains makes me want to go climbing. The lanterns on the bridge remind me, however, that I am still in a valley on the grounds of a famous spa town in the era of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
This equestrian statue of emperor Marcus Aurelius is a replica of that one which used to be on Capitols Square (Piazza del Campidoglio) in Rome until 1979. The statue in Tulln is reminiscent of the fact that this place is situated on the site of a former Roman camp named Comagena.
On the ship Regentag lived and worked the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser for several years. The name Regentag is identical to the second name of Hundertwasser, who called himself Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser. Since 2004, the ship anchored in the harbour of Tulln.
Whereas Prugg Castle (Schloss Prugg) is privately owned and can not be visited, the former castle garden is open for public. From there I took this photo of the castle’s garden side. In 18th century it was rebuilt by architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. In 19th century British architect Edward Buckton Lamb added the Tudor style.
A sundial displaying an equestrian seen at the former Augustinian monastery (Augustinereremitenkloster) in Bruck an der Leitha,
High over the Austrian city of Gloggnitz, the former Benedictine monastery offers now a nice venue for weddings and seminars. The big church located in the middle of the court of Gloggnitz Castle (Schloss Gloggnitz) makes the place special.
The construction of the Catholic Parish church in Gloggnitz started in 1933 but wasn’t finished before 1962. The church is dedicated to Christ the King, so it is generally known as Christkönigskirche.