Description of the attraction
The modern city of Krems, located on the two banks of the Danube, was founded by the merger of several neighboring towns. The historic center of Krems is located on the left bank of the river. Previously, it was part of the city of Stein an der Donau, which means "Stone on the Danube". This part of the city remained practically unchanged: no large shopping centers were built here, no office buildings were erected. The Stein district is renowned for its medieval atmosphere. He seemed to be frozen in the past.
The Stein area is home to many architectural landmarks. These include magnificent Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque mansions that have survived to this day without significant alterations. Among them is the Grosser Passauerhof Palace, which was first mentioned in documents of 1263 as the Sechenhof mansion, which belonged to the Bishop of Passau. The current Renaissance building dates from 1550-1600.
In Stein an der Donau, fragments of medieval fortifications with the remains of the Linser Tor and Kremser Tor gates have been preserved. Linzer Tor was built in 1477 in the Gothic style and rebuilt in the 18th century. Kremser Tor appeared on the eastern side of the medieval fortress around 1470.
In Stein, a 16th century barn, where salt was previously stored, has survived to this day. It was brought here from Bavaria to be transported along the Danube to the countries of Northern Europe.
While walking through the medieval district of Krems, you should definitely pay attention to several churches. The Romanesque Minorite Temple, built in 1264, has now been turned into an exhibition hall. The Gothic church of St. Nicholas dates back to the end of the 14th century. It contains works by local artist Martin Johan Schmidt. The Frauenbergkirche church is also interesting, in the 60s of the last century, converted into a memorial in honor of the soldiers who died in two world wars.
