Krems an der Donau is a town in Lower Austria with a population of around 25,000. History extending back more than a thousand years is evident everywhere - in the streets and squares, in the old monasteries and churches, in the townhouses and fortifications.

So what did we see;

Linz Gate. The Linzer Tor is one of the former town gates of Stein. It faces towards the city of Linz - that's how it got its name. It was also called the Bridge Gate as it was situated next to the bridge to Mautern and so, all facilities needed for the bridge's maintenance were found there. The town gate was built in 1470 and used to be much more decorated than it is today. For example, it showed a fresco from Martin Johann Schmidt, one of the most famous Austrian painters of the 19th century.

Frauenberg Church. Gothic church of the Assumption of Mary built in the 14th century on a rock terrace above the parish church of St. Nicholas and is connected to it by the steep Frauenberg Staircase. The tower, popularly known as Alter Michl, characterizes the townscape of Stein.
Parish Church of St. Nicholas. was mentioned in documents for the first time in the 12th century,

Minorite Church. Around 1230, the Minorites founded a monastery in Stein. The long choir was probably added in the first third of the 14th century. In the wake of a flood and a fire in 1440, the construction of the south tower took place around 1444 during repairs.

Krems Gate. This gate is a Gothic building that dates from around 1400 and was part of the city's fortifications.

Old Monastery Church of the Penitentiary Stein. In the 19th century, the former convent church of Stein Prison was the church of the Redemptorist nuns' convent. It was built in the course of the construction of the convent from 1839 to 1843.

Und Monastery (former Capuchin Monastery). This Capuchin monastery was a place of pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary in the Counter-Reformation period. It existed from 1614 to 1796.

Stone Gate. (Steiner Tor)This gate is the landmark of Krems and the only preserved of the four former city gates. The main tower from the late 15th century bears a number of inscriptions on the outside. Three coats of arms from 1756 adorn the entrance to the city. On the left, there is the one granted by Emperor Frederick III, which shows the crowned double-headed eagle on a black background. On the right, there is the coat of arms of Ladislaus Postumus and in the center there is the coat of arms of Maria Theresa.

Parish Church St. Vitus. This Roman Catholic church of St. Vitus dates back to a donation by Emperor Henry II in 1014. In the early 12th century it was built as a Romanesque basilica with a low tower.
Saviour's Church. This Protestant church with the adjoining parish hall stands at the southwestern end of the city park. It was built in 1912 by architect Otto Bartning, who designed over 100 churches in Germany.

Trinity Column. Times of plague and epidemics that had been survived were an occasion to show gratitude to the Holy Trinity. In 1736, the citizens of Krems commissioned a Holy Trinity column from the sculptor Josef Matthias Götz, which was to be erected on the newly designed square where the castle courtyard used to be (today's Dreifaltigkeitsplatz).

Gozzoburg. Built in the 13th century,is considered one of the most important medieval inner-city buildings in Austria.

Hercules Fountain The fountain consists of a square granite water basin with a column on which Hercules, equipped with a lion's skin, club and shield, overlooks the Hoher Markt square. The shield shows a double-headed eagle and the year 1682.

Simandlbrunnen, also known as 'The Fountain of the Whipped Man', was constructed in 1687 by Johann Ladislaus Pyrker. In the Austrian dialect, 'Simandl' refers to a henpecked husband as depicted in the fountain. Located in Hoher Markt Square in the Old Town.

After dinner this evening we were entertained by dancers from the Vienna ballet company.