St. Florian Abbey

St. Florian Abbey, south of Linz in Upper Austria, is a house of Augustinian canons named after Saint Florian, whose fourth-century grave is said to lie beneath the complex. The monastery was founded in the early 9th century, and Augustinian canons have lived here since 1071. The present Baroque building went up from 1686 under Carlo Antonio Carlone; after his death Jakob Prandtauer carried on the work, and Bartolomeo Altomonte painted the frescoes. Anton Bruckner was organist here from 1848 to 1855 and is buried beneath the great organ.

The organ has four manuals, 103 stops and more than 7,000 pipes; Franz Xaver Chrismann built it between 1770 and 1774. The guided tour takes in the abbey library with well over 100,000 volumes, the Marble Hall and the 14 Imperial Rooms. Tours last about 75 minutes and usually run several times a day from May to October. The International Bruckner Days are also held every year. Check the dates in advance.