Medieval Austria. Visiting Princes and Monks in the Vienna Woods

What to Expect

• We will explore a 12th-century medieval castle belonging to the Princes of Liechtenstein - rulers of the eponymous principality.
• We will also visit the Cistercian monks at Heiligenkreuz Monastery. Here, in the crypt, rest members of the Babenberg dynasty, which ruled Austria from the 10th to the 13th centuries. I will tell you about the modern life of the monastery and how to enter the papal spiritual academy located here.
• We will have lunch in the monastery restaurant (optional).
• Our path will then lead through the charming Valley of St. Helena, surrounded by the eastern foothills of the Alps, with its mighty oaks and beeches and the beautiful Medling pine. Fairy-tale gnome houses of rural Austria will greet us along the way.
• We will descend underground, into a worked-out grotto, which has now become a favorite place for tourists from all over the world. After all, here, at a depth of 26 meters, lies the largest underground lake in Europe (6200 m²), on which we will take a boat ride. In winter and summer, the underground air temperature is +9° C. Blankets are provided if needed.
• The aristocratic town of Baden will greet us with its elegance and tranquility. For 30 years, the Emperor of Austria Franz I and his family rested here. Great composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, and Strauss spent their summer months here.
• We will definitely stroll through the alleys of the beautiful park and the largest rose garden in Europe (with over 60,000 rose bushes).
• And for lovers of gambling, the second largest casino after Monaco awaits – Grand Casino Baden.
• The town is also famous for its Roman baths, opened here by the Romans 2000 years ago.
• And what is the Vienna Woods without local wines! Upon request, we can taste wines produced locally in one of the taverns, known as heurigers.
• The sun is setting – it's time to return to Vienna.