Passau to Steyr and Kremsmunster: Private day trip

Steyr sits at the confluence of two rivers in the town center, the Enns and the Steyr, and to witness these two fast flowing rivers coming together is a sight to be seen. Although Steyr has been a center of wealth and industry throughout history and is currently the Austrian headquarters of BMW, it is the town square that grabs the attention with its beautiful collection of historic old buildings. The square fills many visitors with a sense of wonderment at being surrounded by a festival of decorative architecture and it is not long before you realize that Steyr has everything imaginable in a medieval fantasy — a drawbridge, a castle (dating back to 980), tiny alleyways that wind up in crumbling courtyards, and rococo church towers that soar into the sky. This is a town that pleasantly surprises and never disappoints its visitors, many of whom leave impatient to return.

According to legend, Kremsmunster Abbey was founded in 777 by Tassilo III, Duke of Bavaria on the site where his son had been attacked and killed by a wild boar during a hunting trip. Over the centuries, the abbey would be refined and expanded, eventually growing to be the second largest in Austria. Kremsmunster also excelled all other abbeys in all things culture, from books to art to learning. The abbey’s stunning 17th century Rococo library is one of the greatest in Austria, home to over 160,000 volumes, including the 9th century Codex Millenarius. Among the many priceless items in the treasury, the most prized is the copper and silver Tassilo chalice, which was donated by the Monastery’s founder. The abbey church is a stunning example of the Baroque style, filled with stunning stucco, and vibrant frescoes, which are kept company by beautiful tapestries.