Kirchen am Fluss (Churches on the river)

Information post © Anna Lun
Information post at one of the pilgrimage sites in the Wachau © Anna Lun

Unique sacred buildings on both banks of the Danube decorate a landscape that has been marked by Christian culture for many centuries. The goal of the project was to raise awareness amongst the local population and visitors of the monasteries, churches and chapels and to make the buildings something to experience. To this end, a whole series of projects was implemented.

As many of the churches are locked for almost the entire year, they should at least be made virtually accessible. To this end, a website was created with extensive photographic documentation and a brief description of the buildings. The Melk Museum Association also produced spherical panoramas of many of the churches. Opening times, guided tours and events are shown on the website. Information posts have been positioned at the participating churches and pilgrimage destinations in the region. The information about the churches has also been prepared for a small exhibition at the Melk tourist information office. A temporary exhibition on Protestantism in the Wachau has also been implemented.

Another sub-project is the church calendar, which has appeared annually since 2015. This brochure contains the collected information on all opportunities for viewing the sacred buildings and an events calendar. Download church calendar

In 2015, the book "Wachauer Kirchen erzählen" (Wachau churches tell their story) by W. Grond and V. Trubel was published by Haymond-Verlag and connects the churches with the personal stories of people from the region. The region participated in this as co-publisher.

Implemented within the scope of Wachau 2010plus.