Pleasant bike paths along the Danube River, great skiing on Schneeberg, and idyllic villages in the wine region Weinviertel are just a few highlights of Lower Austria (Niederösterreich).
Lower Austria is Austria’s largest state, with 19.177 km2. At first glance, the state doesn’t have the same flair as the alpine states of Tyrol or Salzburg. Nevertheless, Lower Austria offers an incredible variety of nature and culture.
Heartland
Lower Austria has always been the centre point of Austrian history. The state’s original name was Austria, the heartland of the Habsburg Empire. Moreover, the state surrounds the Austrian capital Vienna. 42 % of the state is agricultural land. Thus, providing a large share of the food production in Austria. In addition, Lower Austria is the largest wine grower in the country. Its proximity to the country’s capital and seat of power has given it some advantages throughout history.
Culture and architecture
As a consequence of being the heartland of Austria and an integral part of the political powerhouse, you will find numerous palaces, castles, and monasteries in Lower Austria. Nobles who wanted to escape Vienna built their countryside retreats a day or two coach rides away. Furthermore, no other state can showcase more astonishing holy buildings than Lower Austria. A few of the most impressive; are Stift Melk, Stift Göttweig, and Stift Klosterneuburg, which have become important tourist magnets.
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The mighty Danube River
The mighty river splits the state right in the middle. The Danube has played a vital role in Lower Austria’s history. One of the state’s most significant tourist and wine regions is the lovely Wachau, which stretches about 30 kilometres along the Danube. Only a one-hour drive west of Vienna, you find many picturesque villages separated by vineyards and fruit orchards. Add to that medieval castles and one of the mightiest rivers in Europe, the Danube, and you have a perfect mix for attracting tourists. East of Vienna, there is an extensive meadowland along the river, all the way up to the border with Slovakia.
Peaceful Waldviertel
North of the Danube River valley, towards the Czech Republic, the Waldviertel (the so-called forest district) comprises the agricultural landscape and rolling hills covered with forest. Foreign tourists have not fully discovered the region the same way as the Austrians. This means that the prices are still comfortable, and you rarely have to queue for attractions. Furthermore, the Thaya Valley National Park is a real gem for tranquillity and closeness to nature.
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Vienna Woods
Wienerwald (Vienna Woods) is a popular hiking area, especially for those living in Vienna, not far away, and those who prefer forest and scenic walks rather than high mountain tours. Although the view cannot be compared to the one you get from 2-3000 meter mountain peaks, the rolling hills in Wienerwald in Lower Austria offer great nature experiences.
The Vienna Alps
Wieneralpen (The Vienna Alps) is the far-eastern part of the Sentral-European Alps. The lovely Alpine scenery around Semmering, Rax, Schneeberg and Wechsel are popular winter ski resorts and offer fantastic summer hiking. The gently rolling hills of the Bucklige Welt are in the state’s southeastern corner. The innumerable hills and humps, with their broad valley bottoms and rounded ridges, are characteristic of the landscape and simultaneously give the region its name.
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Ski resorts
The easternmost parts of the Alps lie within Lower Austria. Albeit not as spectacular as in Tyrol, the state still offers great skiing.
– Göstling-Hochkar
– Annaberg
– Lackenhof-Ötscher
– Mitterbach-Gemeindealpe
– Schischaukel Mönichkirchen-Mariensee
– St. Corona am Wechsel
– Zauberberg Semmering
– Puchberg am Schneeberg
This is not a complete list of the ski resorts in Lower Austria, but some of the most popular. Schneeberg (Snow Mountain) is easily accessible from Vienna, which is 115 km away by car. Many of the ski resorts have lifts that also run in the summer, giving access to a wide range of hiking terrain.
For more info, see Lower Austria Tourism
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Carnuntum was a Roman military camp on the Danube in the province of Noricum, located in present-day Austria (in Lower Austria, about 43 km east of Vienna). From the 1st to the 4th century AD Carnuntum was a significant Roman metropolis on the outer border of the Roman Empire. Furthermore, Carnuntum became the capital of […]
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The small town of Melk by the Danube receives tens of thousands of visitors yearly who see the huge Melk Abbey. However, regardless arrive at Melk Abbey by land or water; you cannot avoid being mightily impressed by the grand splendour of the monastery. 1000-year history Melk was, for the first time, mentioned in written […]
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The highest mountain of Lower Austria, Schneeberg (Snow Mountain), with its 2,076-metre (6.811 ft) high summit Klosterwappen, offers family-friendly hiking and stunning views. Only about 80 km (50 mi) from Vienna, it’s a popular hiking destination for the Viennese and travellers. Hence, I boarded the yellow and green salamander train and headed to Schneeberg. Arriving at the top, […]
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Dürnstein is taken out of a medieval novel. Dürnstein clings to a narrow strip on the north bank of the Danube in Lower Austria. The small town has taken its name from the castle which occupies the cliffs above. Luckily, the town is much better preserved than the castle, which only consists of a few […]
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The Mostviertel region in the southeastern part of Lower Austria offers a wide range of activities and is an all-year travel destination. Notwithstanding, I especially love travelling in the region in early springtime. Mostviertel is a great place to hike, but if you visit only for a few days, I recommend driving. Pear tree blossom […]
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First of all, the location of the castle, perched on a rock above the Danube river, is out of this world. Secondly, although Aggstein Castle is only partly restored it still offers you a great insight into life in the Middle Ages. That and the fantastic views of one of the mightiest rivers in Europe […]
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Like so many other castles and palaces in Austria, this place has a fascinating history, a great location and is very well preserved. Hence, you get a sense of the almost 1000-year history of Rosenburg. At Rosenburg, they focus on a varied program of activities for their visitors. One of the events that make Rosenburg […]
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The Wachau takes up a 33-kilometre (20-mile) stretch of the Danube between Melk and Krems in Upper Austria. The unique blend of picturesque villages, river landscape, history, culture and regional delicatessen are the main attractions. The mild climate, geology and good soil make Wachau one of the prime wine districts of Austria. The tourist season […]
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A very hilly landscape characterizes the Bucklige Welt region in the southeastern corner of Lower Austria. Hence, the name means something like “world of bumps” in German. This is the easternmost end of the Alps, which extends through Austria. From here, the flat Pannonian plains dominate the landscape far into Hungary. Land of the thousand […]