After our full day in Vienna, we moved on to our second ship, and this time the Danube cooperated.

St. Florian Monastery

We arrived on our second ship, the Avalon Illumination, for the next few days, and we are actually sailing on the Danube. We boarded in Linz, Austria, and had a very pleasant outing to St. Florian Monastery, the largest Baroque monastery in Upper Austria.

Since 1071, St. Florian has been home to the Canons Regular of the Order of Saint Augustine, and it is their oldest monastery. The monastery was reconstructed into its current grand Baroque style between 1686 and 1750. It is a beautiful complex just a dozen or so kilometers from Linz city center. The exterior of the complex and the surrounding grounds proved more than welcoming, but the interior was awe-inspiring.

The Baroque Library

First was the ornate Baroque library, with over 150,000 books. The library room itself is a masterpiece, with its rich inlaid woods and wraparound gallery, all drawing your eyes up to the bright frescoes on the ceiling.

The Imperial Marble Hall

We made our way through long corridors to the Imperial Marble Hall, a grand ceremonial and festive hall. Its pink-hued marble is striking, but it is the trompe l’oeil frescoes that capture your attention. They are designed so that the figures in the frescoes move with you no matter where you are in the room. It is something to see. Of note, the acoustics in this hall were amazing, and it would be lovely to hear a string quartet play in this space.

The Collegiate Church and the Bruckner Organ

After a tour of some art and the burial grounds under the church, we entered the Collegiate Church. Again, the Baroque design, with glorious frescoes adorning the entire length of the ceiling, simply takes your breath away.

The church houses its world-famous Bruckner organ, named for the composer Anton Bruckner, whose final resting place is also under the church. The organ consists of four manuals, 103 stops, and over 7,300 pipes. After we entered the church, we were seated and treated to a 25-minute organ concert. The beautiful music was only enhanced by the beautiful surroundings.