Burg Wels


Set around a quiet, geranium-filled garden, this castle is where Emperor Maximilian I drew his last breath in 1519. The folksy museum contains everything from cannonballs to Biedermeier costumes. Must-sees include the horse-drawn cider press and the circular room that’s a shrine to baking, with walls smothered in animal- and flower-shaped pastries and gigantic pretzels.


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Nearby attractions

1. Stadtplatz

0.08 MILES

Wels’ main square is framed by slender town houses, many of which conceal arcaded inner courtyards. Particularly attractive is the ivy-clad courtyard at…

2. Stadtpfarrkirche

0.1 MILES

Built in the 14th century on the site of a wooden chapel first mentioned in 888, the refreshingly simple Stadtpfarrkirche is noteworthy for its Gothic…

3. Stift Kremsmünster

8.38 MILES

Kremsmünster’s enormous Benedictine abbey dates from 777, but was given a baroque facelift in the 18th century. Elaborate stucco and frescoes shape the…

4. Fischbehälter

8.39 MILES

The 17th-century cloisters of the Stift Kremsmünster comprise five fish ponds, each centred on a mythological statue. The trickle of water is calming and…

5. Stiftskirche

8.49 MILES

You don't have to tour the Stift Kremsmünster to enter its Stiftskirche. The marvellously over-the-top baroque church is criss-crossed with white…

6. Sternwarte

8.49 MILES

Part of the Stift Kremsmünster complex, the 50m-high Stern­warte is dedicated to numerous schools of natural history. Spanning seven floors, the mind…

7. Kurpark

12.09 MILES

Opposite the Mediterrana Therme, this 34-hectare park features exotic and native woodlands, aromatic gardens, blooming flower beds and regularly changing…

8. Botanischer Garten

15 MILES

These peaceful botanical gardens, 1.7km southwest of the centre, nurture 10,000 species, from native alpine plants to orchids, rhododendrons, tropical…