For our second retreat we went to Laxenburg, a little place a few kilometers south of Vienna. This retreat was a 'lectio divina' retreat. A priest gave us bible texts and we had to meditate them. I like silent retreats. It gives me inner rest and inner peace. Having nothing on your mind except things you want to meditate on. In the afternoon I always went for a two hour walk. Laxenburg is the ideal place for walking in silence.
In Laxenburg there is Schloss Laxenburg which, beside Schönbrunn, was the most important summer seat of the Habsburg dynasty. The whole village was built around this palace. Behind the palace there is a huge garden. This garden is the most extraordinary garden I have ever seen. It dates from the late 18th century and it is sort of typical for this age. Romanticism came up at that time and that is noticeable in this garden. The architect of the garden wanted to create a garden which expressed the age of the knights. So the garden is densely planted with trees and narrow walking paths guide you through the garden. Then all of a sudden you see an artificial cave and a training spot for knights. They even built a huge castle!
The castle in
the romantic palace garden