Linz (Austria)
According to Commit4fitness, Linz is the administrative center of Upper Austria. The city is located in the northwestern part of the country on the Danube River. The first mention of it refers to 799. Then the Martinskirche church was built, which is now the oldest functioning church in Austria. In 1678, another church was built in Linz by the Jesuits, which is now called the Old Cathedral, and in 1924, after more than half a century of work, the New Cathedral appeared, the height of the towers of which reaches 135 m. A little to the north is the Main Square – the center of the Old Town. The Town Hall was installed on the square in the 16th century, and in 1723 in memory of the plague epidemic – column of the Holy Trinity. In the vicinity of the square, you can see Linz Castle (13th century), which since the 15th century housed the residence of Emperor Frederick III and the Government and Parliament building – Landhaus (a large building with three courtyards). In 2009, Linz was chosen as the European Capital of Culture for a year. This choice cannot be called accidental, because Linz has long been considered the center of culture and education in Austria, there are numerous museums, including one of the largest museums of modern art – Lentos, theaters, concert and exhibition halls.
15 km southeast of Linz is one of the oldest monasteries in the country – Monastery of St. Florian. The construction of the monastery monastery began in the 4th century AD, but the monastery acquired its modern appearance in 1751. According to legend, St. Florian is buried here, who was martyred for the spread of Christianity. In addition, the famous composer Anton Bruckner is buried in the monastery church.
Also in the vicinity of Linz, it is worth visiting the city of Lambach, where a Benedictine abbey was founded in 1056; the city of Krumsmünster with the Benedictine abbey of 777, which is famous for its Imperial Hall and observatory; the abbey of the Cistercian order (1146) in Wilhering; Augustinian abbey (1084) in Reichersberg and the monastery of the Trappist Order (1293) at Engelszell.
Southeast of Linz on the slopes of the Alps lies the Kalkalpen National Park. Most of the park is covered with forests, and there are about 30 different types of forests. In addition to forests in the park, you can see alpine meadows and pastures, mountain rivers and streams, as well as karst caves formed as a result of erosion of limestone rocks by water flows. Hiking, horse riding and cycling tours are organized in the park. Excursions to the caves are also very popular.
San Anton (Austria)
The San Anton ski resort is located in the western part of the state of Tyrol in the Arlrberg valley. San Anton is one of the oldest and largest ski resorts in Austria. In addition, this is one of the most expensive and most sophisticated resorts in Austria. San Anton is known as one of the best off-piste resorts in Europe and is also known for its challenging steep slopes that only experienced skiers can overcome.
Altitudes in the San Anton area range from 1300 to 2810 m. There are 260 km of ski trails, 180 unmarked trails for off-piste skiing, 58 km of flat trails. In San Anton there are excellent opportunities for snowboarding: 9 km of slopes with a height difference of more than 1300 m and a fun park. Using the lifts, you can easily get to the neighboring San Christophe, which greatly expands the skiing area. San Anton has dozens of restaurants, nightclubs and shops, swimming pools, hot tubs, saunas, solariums, hotel spas, an ice skating rink, tennis courts, and fitness centers. Also in San Anton is the Museum of Alpine Skiing and Local History, which tells about the history of skiing in the region. Near San Anton in the Arlrberg valley is the ski resort Lech.
St. Pölten (Austria)
Sankt Pölten is the center of the state of Lower Austria. It is located 65 km west of Vienna. St. Pölten is considered one of the oldest cities in the country, because it received the status of a city back in 1159.
In the city you can see many buildings made in the Baroque style, for example, the Carmelite Monastery, which now houses the City Museum, the City Hall and the Cathedral, in front of which there is a vast Cathedral Square. Also in St. Pölten is one of the most beautiful Renaissance palaces – Schallaburg.
From St. Pölten you can head northwest to the picturesque Wachau Valley – the land of vineyards, stretching between the cities of Melk and Krems. Here you can visit wine cellars and taste real Austrian wine. The ancient city of Dürnstein is also located in the valley with the 12th century Künringerburg castle, where the English king Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned.
To the north of the Wachau valley on the border with the Czech Republic, part of which runs along the Taya River, is the Tayatal National Park. The area of the park is 13.3 sq. km. For millions of years, the Taya River, flowing among the local granite rocks, formed fascinating canyons more than 100 m deep. About 90% of the park area is covered with forests, the remaining 10% are meadows and fields.