You are most welcome here. Even in a rich historical region like Upper Austria, St. Florian’s is unique. There is no centre of Christian culture quite like it. Not many places can boast a history that reaches back continuously more than 1700 years. I hope you enjoy your visit – that you will have time to walk the long corridors of our buildings. Doing so should bring you inner peace. In the basilica you will have a moment to pause and think, to steep yourself in silence or listen to the sounds of the Bruckner organ. The magnificent architecture will do its part to lift your spirits, so that your heart and mind can find joy in all the beauty that has been created and assembled here over the centuries. The Collegiate Foundation of St. Florian is first and foremost a place for seeking contact with God, a place of prayer and pilgrimage. We as Augustinian canons are called to pursue that aim. It is our wish that everyone who comes here should feel strengthened and renewed when they leave. Take in the breadth of our house and our landscapes. Breathe the deeper joy and tranquillity that comes from faith in him to whose glory all this has been created. Johann Holzinger Provost

Every booklet in this series presents an important medieval fortress, a castle, a stately home or a fortified complex in central Europe. The carefully and competently written texts, the ample number of photographs and the many drawings and plans provide both experts and booklovers interested in history and culture with state-of-the-art research on castles. In addition to extraordinary architectural photographs, many specially created drawings illustrate previous forms and buildings, while information boxes analyse various subjects and provide the main historical data.