Stift Klosterneuburg
Stift Klosterneuburg
4.5
About
One place. A thousand stories. In 1114, Klosterneuburg Abbey was founded by Margrave Leopold III. For over 900 years, history has been written here and stories have been told. It is those stories that we have collected over the centuries – they make our spirituality as well as the close connection of this house to Austrian history tangible. The story of the Verdun altar (1181) illustrates the history of the abbey’s spirituality as well as its closeness to the people. The altar, apart from its material splendour, served one purpose above all - to make the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Mass easier to understand, even for those who were unable to read and write. The laying of the foundation stone for the abbey church (1114) is a symbol for the abbey’s longevity and its responsibility to create. At this event, wine from its own winery was served. It is the oldest winery in Austria, which has been run by Klosterneuburg Abbey since the Middle Ages.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Leo v
Gouda, The Netherlands467 contributions
Dec 2022
Stift Klosterneuburg quite near Vienna is really one of the most beautiful stifts in Austria. It is very nice renovated and especialley the church and its cellars and treasury and the chruch itself are very impressive. Take the quided tour to discover the interesting history.
The church is open to the public.
The church is open to the public.
Written 21 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MartinC_8
Cheam, UK35 contributions
Jul 2017 • Couples
Based on the fact that a tour was included As a tour was included in our vienna pass we decided to go to Klosterneuburg. We had a great day and found the place fascinating. All the tours are worthwhile but be aware that only one of them is free with Vienna pass.
A few tips:
Do Not go there by hop on hop off bus. It takes ages to get there and back (allow at least 2 hours of travel time) There are limited tours available and some of them start before the first hoho bus arrives.
Going by public transport is dead easy. Take the U4 to Heiligenstadt and then a local bus (frequent) to the Abbey. EUR 1.70 each way for the bus (July 17) The whole journey hotel to Abbey will take less than 30 minutes for most visitors, but most importantly you can go early at a time to suit you. We got there before 11 am and had plenty of time to do all four tours and be back in the hotel before 5pm. And we had the place mostly to ourselves.
Most HOHO bus guests will arrive after lunch and will only have time for the 2.30 wine tour. Hence why most people only do the wine tour. (it's like going to Hampton court and only visiting the maze!)
All the tours are good but the guided ones are few and far between and give access to the spectacular parts ordinary tourists cannot reach. Plan your tours well.
As others have noted all guided tours are conducted in German. The English audio guides are good but clearly do not give as much info and background as the guides impart in German.
That said our first guided tour was just a group of four, two of us English, so the guide did her best to give us extra titbits in English. She was a bit embarrassed that her English was limited but I thought she did really well, and certainly spoke our language a lot better than we do hers.
Our experience over the day was that about 50% of the visitors we saw spoke English. I'm sure they could increase their footfall by being more English accessible. Or at least pad out the audio guide with a few more anecdotes to supplement the information content.
A few tips:
Do Not go there by hop on hop off bus. It takes ages to get there and back (allow at least 2 hours of travel time) There are limited tours available and some of them start before the first hoho bus arrives.
Going by public transport is dead easy. Take the U4 to Heiligenstadt and then a local bus (frequent) to the Abbey. EUR 1.70 each way for the bus (July 17) The whole journey hotel to Abbey will take less than 30 minutes for most visitors, but most importantly you can go early at a time to suit you. We got there before 11 am and had plenty of time to do all four tours and be back in the hotel before 5pm. And we had the place mostly to ourselves.
Most HOHO bus guests will arrive after lunch and will only have time for the 2.30 wine tour. Hence why most people only do the wine tour. (it's like going to Hampton court and only visiting the maze!)
All the tours are good but the guided ones are few and far between and give access to the spectacular parts ordinary tourists cannot reach. Plan your tours well.
As others have noted all guided tours are conducted in German. The English audio guides are good but clearly do not give as much info and background as the guides impart in German.
That said our first guided tour was just a group of four, two of us English, so the guide did her best to give us extra titbits in English. She was a bit embarrassed that her English was limited but I thought she did really well, and certainly spoke our language a lot better than we do hers.
Our experience over the day was that about 50% of the visitors we saw spoke English. I'm sure they could increase their footfall by being more English accessible. Or at least pad out the audio guide with a few more anecdotes to supplement the information content.
Written 20 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ian M
Exeter, UK2 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
This is one of the most important historical sites in Austria and is described fully in other guides. Only the treasury has a free visit with an excellent headset commentary in several languages. The church, the museum, the state apartments and the wine cellar can only be visited with German speaking guided tours and the headset does not yet cover all parts of the site. There is only one tour a day to the museum (13.30) and state apartments and one to the wine cellar (15.00). In theory it is possible to combine them but our museum tour over-ran. Much of the tour was given outside the collections, before being admitted to the rooms and some sections of the museum were not visited at all. The library cannot be visited and no manuscripts from the important scriptorium are on display (although there is a special exhibition starting in September 2015). It is most frustrating to have doors to large sections of this important site locked when one arrives for a limited time but with a range of items to see. If you arrive after 12.00 do not expect to be able to see the whole site. They must get their act together - it is taking money (17 Euros) under false pretences.
Written 1 May 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Virginia_Lee7
Lexington, VA58 contributions
Dec 2015
Kosterneuburg is easily accessible from Vienna, either by bus or by subway/train. I used the latter and found it quite easy. It does require two tickets each way, since it is outside the central city area.
Their website is extremely poor, although there is a note that it is under revision. From the website, you would not be able to tell that there are three tours available -- sacred, royal apartments, and wine. I believe that they are ordinarily in German and people who speak other languages are given audioguides in their own language. I was there on a cold rainy day shortly before Christmas and since I was the only tourist, my tours were in English. But I wouldn't let the audioguide put you off. They were all the same at the other places I visited in Vienna and they were uniformly easy to understand and informative.
The other thing you can't tell from the website is that there is a cafe on site, which is good if you want something to eat between the morning (sacred) and early afternoon (royal apartments) tours, as there is only a gap of a little over an hour.
Their website is extremely poor, although there is a note that it is under revision. From the website, you would not be able to tell that there are three tours available -- sacred, royal apartments, and wine. I believe that they are ordinarily in German and people who speak other languages are given audioguides in their own language. I was there on a cold rainy day shortly before Christmas and since I was the only tourist, my tours were in English. But I wouldn't let the audioguide put you off. They were all the same at the other places I visited in Vienna and they were uniformly easy to understand and informative.
The other thing you can't tell from the website is that there is a cafe on site, which is good if you want something to eat between the morning (sacred) and early afternoon (royal apartments) tours, as there is only a gap of a little over an hour.
Written 6 January 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DDTinConnecticut
Haddam, CT34 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
As other reviewers note, the Stift has one of the more beautiful churches in the area. If you have a little time in Klosterneuburg, I recommend hiking up the hill on the Lange Gasse, just outside of town. The path goes uphill through vineyards. When you get to the top of the Buchberg, you'll be rewarded with gorgeous views of the Stift, with its beautiful spires. We found directions for this walk on the Klosterneuburg city website, but Lange Gasse is easy to find on any map. The walk starts at the end of Lange Gasse, near the cemetery, just a few minutes away from the Rathausplatz.
The wine cellar tour is not to be missed, either! We had an excellent guide (in German, though--I think they had audio guides in English) who described the history of wine production at the Stift. The tour concludes with a tasting at the Stift's vinothek.
Stift Klosterneuburg wine is very good. You can find it at very reasonable prices in local grocery stores. You can also visit the Vinothek even without going on the wine cellar tour. At the Vinothek they have a much wider selection. The Vinothek has its own entrance near the Stift, and has the full selection of Stift wines plus other nice things.
We ate at the cafe inside the Stift while we waited for our tour, and had an excellent lunch at a very reasonable price.
We also visited a special exhibition, "Kaiser, Kloster, ind Gelehrte," which was fascinating. They had a number of beautiful illuminated manuscripts that had been made right there in Klosterneuburg--amazing!
One more tip: If you are in Vienna, it is easy to get to Klosterneuburg. From the Wien-Heiligenstadt station (on the U4/Green UBahn line), you can catch either a train or a bus. The trip takes about 15 minutes. At the moment, the price is 2.20 Euros per person. If you take the train, get the one towards Tulln and get off at Klosterneuburg/Kierling. The bus (toward Maria Gugging) has a stop at the Stift, and also stops at Klosterneuburg/Kierling. The bus and train cost the same, but the bus is a bit slower.
The wine cellar tour is not to be missed, either! We had an excellent guide (in German, though--I think they had audio guides in English) who described the history of wine production at the Stift. The tour concludes with a tasting at the Stift's vinothek.
Stift Klosterneuburg wine is very good. You can find it at very reasonable prices in local grocery stores. You can also visit the Vinothek even without going on the wine cellar tour. At the Vinothek they have a much wider selection. The Vinothek has its own entrance near the Stift, and has the full selection of Stift wines plus other nice things.
We ate at the cafe inside the Stift while we waited for our tour, and had an excellent lunch at a very reasonable price.
We also visited a special exhibition, "Kaiser, Kloster, ind Gelehrte," which was fascinating. They had a number of beautiful illuminated manuscripts that had been made right there in Klosterneuburg--amazing!
One more tip: If you are in Vienna, it is easy to get to Klosterneuburg. From the Wien-Heiligenstadt station (on the U4/Green UBahn line), you can catch either a train or a bus. The trip takes about 15 minutes. At the moment, the price is 2.20 Euros per person. If you take the train, get the one towards Tulln and get off at Klosterneuburg/Kierling. The bus (toward Maria Gugging) has a stop at the Stift, and also stops at Klosterneuburg/Kierling. The bus and train cost the same, but the bus is a bit slower.
Written 10 November 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fenia_87
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates15 contributions
Great place to visit while in Austria. Location is a bit outside Vienna but can be easily reached: take subway U4 to Heiligenstadt, go outside towards 12 February Platz then take bus 239 or 238. Ride will only take you 10 min. The bus stop is just next to the Stift (you 'll see palace on your left).
All tours are guided but only in German that's why they offer audio guide for free. But you still have to follow the group and the guide. There are 3 tours (Abbey, imperial and wine tour) that are scheduled: first one at 11. 15 am then 1. 30 pm then 3 pm. The last tour allows you to visit 900 year old wine cellars that are in use till now days. At the end of the tour you 'll be offered 2 complimentary glasses of wine which is produced here in the Stift.
Something important that you need to know also is that all year around except summer it's pretty cold inside the palace and obviously in the cellar so be prepared.
All tours are guided but only in German that's why they offer audio guide for free. But you still have to follow the group and the guide. There are 3 tours (Abbey, imperial and wine tour) that are scheduled: first one at 11. 15 am then 1. 30 pm then 3 pm. The last tour allows you to visit 900 year old wine cellars that are in use till now days. At the end of the tour you 'll be offered 2 complimentary glasses of wine which is produced here in the Stift.
Something important that you need to know also is that all year around except summer it's pretty cold inside the palace and obviously in the cellar so be prepared.
Written 19 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Starburst10
California44 contributions
Jun 2013 • Solo
I live in Vienna's 1st District, but had not yet visited Stift Klosterneuburg. Took a short (20 minute) and pretty bus ride (239A Regional from Heilegenstadt Station) along the Danube up to the impressive Stift, and spent a lovely Sunday afternoon taking the tours and exploring the grounds. This is not just a sterile museum -- it is an active abbey, where the Augustinian brothers make well-known wines, serve the community, and pray 5 times a day in the church, so it is a living environment. Note that an entire charming village grew up around the Stift, with sidewalk cafes, shops, and a tidy and flowery park centering everything, so allow a full day to have a leisurely visit. The Stift itself also has a lovely cafe with indoor and outdoor tables, from which you can see the Danube and canal. Founded in 1100, the Stift offers guided tours for the Wine Cellar, the Imperial Museum, and the "Sacred Areas." Note: These tours are only in German; and mine is terrible lol, so they offer free audio phone guides in multiple languages for several of the tours. (Wine Cellar is not on the Audio Guide option, but I was so glad I went anyway, as to see these ancient winemaking operations 37 meters underground was so historic and exciting! At the end of the Cellar Tour, the guide took our small group to another building which housed the wine tasting area (free with tour) and shop -- yum! Another reviewer mentioned the cost, but I didn't find it at all objectionable, considering what you are seeing. I also took an audio guide on my own for the Treasury, the contents of which rivaled the jewels of the Tower of London, albeit on a smaller scale. The intricate ivory carvings of teensy souls squirming between heaven and hell were just amazing, as were the inlaid scepters, etc. During the Sacral Tour, I used my English audio guide, and I have to say the Verdun Altar would have been worth the price of all the tours combined. It is so incredible and intricate, and to learn that it was saved from destruction by fire in the 1300s by pouring wine from the cellars over it, was amazing. The Baroque church is so beautiful and light-filled, it actually choked me up when I walked in. And did I mention, there were virtually no crowds, yet it was a gorgeous June day. The staff was uber friendly and helpful, offering me advice in English on how to structure my tours, and answering my questions on the Sacral Tour in English, and telling me which item was coming up next on my audio guide. I can't wait to go back when I have visitors and explore the gardens! Highly recommend it!
Written 26 June 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
marqoos_pl
Dublin, Ireland8,328 contributions
May 2011
This more 900-year-old monastery is really stunning place to see. I wasn't actually ready for that and thought I will need maybe 0,5 hour to see everything... It took me almost 3 hours and it was absolutely great.
Klosterneuburg is famous of the monastery with vinery, Emperor's Palace, abbey and treasure. 15 km from central Vienna is definitely place to visit during your trip to Austria. If you travel by car, there is underground car park just nearby (if you buy any of the entrance tickets, 3h parking is free, ask to validate your coupon when buying the ticket).
I have paid for package ticket, which included The Sacred Tour (abbey, church, world famous Verdun Altar), The Imperial Tour (State Rooms) and Treasury (like a dessert with amazing and priceless items there). It was worth that 15 EUR. You could join arranged tours or do that by yourself with self-guide inter-active device. I usually don't take them but this time it was so worth it - presentation was short and interesting. Few different languages available.
There is lovely caffeteria in the Vinothek and you can buy some souvenirs and of course local wines. Klosterneuburg's vinery is one of the biggest and the oldest in Austria. There are some vinery tours available.
Overall, I was so happy that I went there and saw all these sights. Especially treasury - I would compare that one to Aachen's Cathedral Treasury - just amazing.
Klosterneuburg is famous of the monastery with vinery, Emperor's Palace, abbey and treasure. 15 km from central Vienna is definitely place to visit during your trip to Austria. If you travel by car, there is underground car park just nearby (if you buy any of the entrance tickets, 3h parking is free, ask to validate your coupon when buying the ticket).
I have paid for package ticket, which included The Sacred Tour (abbey, church, world famous Verdun Altar), The Imperial Tour (State Rooms) and Treasury (like a dessert with amazing and priceless items there). It was worth that 15 EUR. You could join arranged tours or do that by yourself with self-guide inter-active device. I usually don't take them but this time it was so worth it - presentation was short and interesting. Few different languages available.
There is lovely caffeteria in the Vinothek and you can buy some souvenirs and of course local wines. Klosterneuburg's vinery is one of the biggest and the oldest in Austria. There are some vinery tours available.
Overall, I was so happy that I went there and saw all these sights. Especially treasury - I would compare that one to Aachen's Cathedral Treasury - just amazing.
Written 30 May 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emily H
25 contributions
Oct 2019
My husband and I enjoyed visiting this Monastery. It’s worth the trip if you participate in a tour; we purchased the 13 euro day tickets online. Note, to tour the church itself you must participate in one if the daily tours. The tour is given in German, and non-German speakers follow along with audio guides. Our tour guide spoke English, and was therefore able to answer questions. This was a peaceful getaway from the main sites in Vienna. Important note, if you use public transportation, this monastery is located outside of the Vienna city limits; you will need a regional train pass. The Vienna 24 hour transportation ticket does not cover this area. Taking an Uber is worth the price to get there faster, and to avoid potential fines if you have the incorrect transport ticket.
Written 30 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julie L
Melbourne, Australia1,366 contributions
Oct 2017 • Couples
My best advice is to go early - not to avoid crowds as I doubt it is every really crowded (it seems to be a hidden gem) but so you can avail yourself of all of the free tours that you get when you buy your tickets on line ( Euro 17). If you're not travelling by car but relying on public transport as we did, look up the app Rome2rio and this will tell you ( in our case) what trains to catch (for the grand price of just over Euro 2.50 or something) and the time it will take to get there. At the station, don't start walking along the highway (as we did) with the Abbey behind on the high walls on the right. You need to walk past the shops towards the hospital and there on the left of the road is a shortcut for walkers up stairs on the steep wall and you enter the vast grounds from the back. There are then clear signs (which we initially missed!) directing you to the right and down to the main area/ car park and through into the vast reception that initially was a wine storage area.
This alone was spectular! Then we discovered by luck (rather than planning) we were in time for the wine tour down, down into the cellars and an excellent description of the whole process. The tour was conducted in German and we had English audio but this didn't detract from the process at all. Our only regret was that we didn't arrive earlier so we didn't leave enough time to participate in the other free tours. However we did do a private wander around some of areas - Museum, the Abbey ( Chapel itself) and the Treasury. A truly wonderful day.
This alone was spectular! Then we discovered by luck (rather than planning) we were in time for the wine tour down, down into the cellars and an excellent description of the whole process. The tour was conducted in German and we had English audio but this didn't detract from the process at all. Our only regret was that we didn't arrive earlier so we didn't leave enough time to participate in the other free tours. However we did do a private wander around some of areas - Museum, the Abbey ( Chapel itself) and the Treasury. A truly wonderful day.
Written 15 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Do you happen to have those directions from Vienna? We will be in the Vienna area on a tour and this sounds like a good side trip on our own. Thanks for the good info.
Written 8 April 2019
All the information you need is on their English website under Visit and Experience and then Howto Find Us. You can easily get there your own and it is well worthwhile
Written 9 April 2019
Does anyone know the Sunday hours ? Their website it confusing . Thank you
Written 23 March 2019
Il biglietto costa sulle 12 euro. Poi dipende se vuoi vedere le cantine o fare altri giri il prezzo varia. Le visite sono ad orario e per l'italiano con auricolare.
Written 29 December 2018
Do you have to take a tour to see the Monastery? With an admission ticket, can you not just walk about at your own leisure??
Written 25 June 2017
Update: We had a lovely visit at Klosterneuberg and now know that you can take a guided tour OR a self guided tour.
Written 29 June 2017
Do you have to take a tour to see the Monastery? With an admission ticket, can you not just walk about at your own leisure??
Written 25 June 2017
We were asked to join a tour, in German but with headphones providing the English version - not great. We did walk around on our own beforehand though, but then you cannot access all rooms.
Written 26 June 2017
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