Cultural path Mondsee

The cultural way starts at the Tourist Information office. This building hostet from 1502 - 1938 a hospital which has been donated by Caspar Freinberger in 1464 to heal poor citizens.

At the entrance of the tourist information office you find the tombstone of Caspar Freinberger. The building next door with the #5 has been a chapel belonging to the hospital. Antlered in 1496 it was closed by Emperor Joseph II in 1785.

Turn now direction town centre. On the left nex to the Cafe Frauenschuh you see the town hall of the three municipalities surrounding the town of Mondsee. They are called Innerschwand am Mondsee, St. Lorenz and Tiefgraben. Once the building has been the first grammar school in the federal state of Upper Austria.

In the middle of the town square you find the newly designed fountain and behind it the townhall of the municipality of Mondsee. This building hosted the court of justice in the 18th century. Later it was the headquarter of the parish.

Now turn to the right and enjoy the dignity of the imposing basilica St. Michael Mondsee. Behind the town hall on the right you find a monument dedicated to princess Ignazia von Wrede who became owner of the Mondsee castle in 1863 due to a public auction. Her benefaction to the poor is still today known by the local citizens.

To the left you see the back door of the Mondsee castle, the former Benedictine monastery (748-1791). In the patio once the business branch of the monastery was run.

Left to the basilica the Austrian pile dwellings museum and the Museum Mondsee are situated. Here you get all information about the UNESCO world heritage "pile dwellings of the alps" and about the history of the Mondsee - region and after all about the ancient monastery.

The basilica St. Michael Mondsee is not only known from the wedding scene in the movie "Sound of Music" but also due to its fantastic art treasures. Hans Waldburger's greatest handiwork is the high altar in the front whilst Meinrad Guggenbichler's different altars are some of the most important sculptur works in Austria.

To the right of the basilica some monuments of World War 2 are situated. Opposite in the Karlsgarten garden you find a memorial stone of the Franztal immigrants and the open air arena where the "Mondseer Jedermann" play is performed in summer. Behind the arena you see the Strindberg villa where the Swedish author August Strindberg visited his father-in-law Friedrich Uhl during the summer months.

We head on to the Mondsee smokehouse open air museum. After a sharp increase we reach the "Hilfberg". The museum entrance is at the modern building where old farmers' tools are exhibited. The open air museum shows buildings saved from demolition and are nowadays a very important source that old rural traditions might not get forgotten.
The little church is altered to Mary. Enjoy the fantastic view over the Mondsee town and Mondsee lake.
Now walk along straight into a littel wood and descent to the Mondsee lake.

Turn right at the main street and reach the Almeida park after some meters. In the park you find a statue of countess Micheline von Almeida, a former patron of Mondsee who dedicated the whole park and once earned the Mondsee castle. One place reminds of the composer Carl Michael Ziehrer who spent the summers in Mondsee doing his compositions by the lake.

The rocky monument in the middle of the promenade is dedicated to Robert Baum, another patron of Mondsee and founder of the Mondsee shipping company by using the paddle wheel steamer "Helene".

At the end of the promenade opposite the entrance of the beach area the former heating house of the former Salzkammergut railway is situated. In the building nowadays a museum was established where different exhibits of the former railway including locomotive and wagons are shown.

Now go back the promenade and follow the lime alley, an official nature's monument, back to the starting point.