Part of the Stift Kremsmünster complex, the 50m-high Sternwarte is dedicated to numerous schools of natural history. Spanning seven floors, the mind-boggling collection steps from fossilised starfish to the skeleton of an Ice Age cave bear. It’s a giddy climb up a spiral staircase to the top floor, which displays the Keppler sextant and affords a bird’s-eye perspective of the town and gently rolling countryside beyond. Guided tours are available in English.
Sternwarte
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
18.62 MILES
This castle, set just beyond the lake's edge and reached by a walkway, is believed to have been built on the ruins of a Roman fortress. It dates from 909…
-
15.48 MILES
Rising like a vision above St Florian, this abbey dates at least to 819 and has been occupied by the Canons Regular, living under Augustinian rule, since…
18.93 MILES
The technology, science and digital media of the future are in the spotlight at Linz' biggest crowd-puller. In the labs you can interact with robots,…
-
18.02 MILES
A double act that combines with one of Austria’s most unusual and refreshing museums, the Museum for Sanitary Objects (Klo & So), the K-Hof museum complex…
-
18.93 MILES
Overlooking the Danube, the rectangular glass-and-steel Lentos is strikingly illuminated by night. The gallery guards one of Austria's finest modern-art…
-
18.38 MILES
Also known as the Neuer Dom, this neo-Gothic giant of a cathedral lifts your gaze to its riot of pinnacles, flying buttresses and filigree-traceried…
-
0.17 MILES
Kremsmünster’s enormous Benedictine abbey dates from 777, but was given a baroque facelift in the 18th century. Elaborate stucco and frescoes shape the…
-
22 MILES
Mauthausen's status as a quarrying centre prompted the Nazis to site KZ Mauthausen concentration camp here. Prisoners were forced into slave labour in the…
Nearby attractions
0.11 MILES
You don't have to tour the Stift Kremsmünster to enter its Stiftskirche. The marvellously over-the-top baroque church is criss-crossed with white…
0.14 MILES
The 17th-century cloisters of the Stift Kremsmünster comprise five fish ponds, each centred on a mythological statue. The trickle of water is calming and…
0.17 MILES
Kremsmünster’s enormous Benedictine abbey dates from 777, but was given a baroque facelift in the 18th century. Elaborate stucco and frescoes shape the…
4.01 MILES
Opposite the Mediterrana Therme, this 34-hectare park features exotic and native woodlands, aromatic gardens, blooming flower beds and regularly changing…
8.49 MILES
Set around a quiet, geranium-filled garden, this castle is where Emperor Maximilian I drew his last breath in 1519. The folksy museum contains everything…
8.57 MILES
Wels’ main square is framed by slender town houses, many of which conceal arcaded inner courtyards. Particularly attractive is the ivy-clad courtyard at…
8.59 MILES
Built in the 14th century on the site of a wooden chapel first mentioned in 888, the refreshingly simple Stadtpfarrkirche is noteworthy for its Gothic…
13.22 MILES
Housed in a converted factory by the river, this excellent museum delves into Steyr’s industrial past with exhibits on working-class history, forced…