Lower Austria

Providing popular day-trip material from Vienna, Lower Austria possesses the country's most vibrant cultural landscape, a combination of vineyards and art, monasteries and low wooded hills. Through this enchanting scene flows the mighty Danube which forms the famous Wachau – one of Europe's most fascinating valleys, watched over by castles and medieval villages.

Explore Lower Austria

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Lower Austria.

  • Abbey

    Stift Melk

    Of the many abbeys in Austria, Stift Melk is the most famous. Possibly Lower Austria's finest, the monastery church dominates the complex with its twin…

  • Gallery

    Landesgalerie NÖ

    From one side it looks like a squashed cube, from the other as though it's about to topple over – welcome to the latest addition to Krems' Kunstmeile: a…

  • Gallery

    Forum Frohner

    Part of Krems' Kunsthalle network, this contemporary white cube is named after the artist Adolf Frohner and is housed in the former Minorite monastery. It…

  • Museum

    Arnulf Rainer Museum

    Located inside the former Frauenbad (Women’s Bathhouse) near the tram terminus, this interesting museum showcases the work of its namesake Arnulf Rainer,…

  • Monastery

    Stift Göttweig

    Founded in 1083, the abbey was devastated by fire in the early 18th century and so sports an impressive baroque interior. It's still a working monastery…

  • National Park

    Nationalpark Donau-Auen

    Nationalpark Donau-Auen is a thin strip of natural flood plain on either side of the Danube, running from Vienna to the Slovak border. Established as a…

  • Winery

    Domäne Wachau

    If you're intent on tasting the best of what the Wachau has to offer, it's a good idea to do a broad range of vineyards, from the innovative family-run…

  • Museum

    Egon Schiele Museum

    The Egon Schiele Museum, housed in a former jail near the Danube, vividly presents the story of the life of the Tulln-born artist. It presents around 100…

  • Church

    Piaristenkirche

    Reached by a covered stairway (Piaristenstiege) from Pfarrplatz, Krems' most impressive church has a wonderful webbed Gothic ceiling and huge, austerely…

  • Gallery

    Kunsthalle Krems

    One of the main attractions on Krems' Kunstmeile, the Kunsthalle has a program of changing exhibitions. These might be mid-19th-century landscapes or hard…

  • Abbey

    Stift Altenburg

    This Benedictine abbey can trace its foundations back to 1144. The library, which has ceiling frescos by Paul Troger, and the crypt, with frescos by…

  • Castle

    Kuenringerburg

    Kuenringerburg, the castle high on the hill above the town, is where Richard the Lionheart was incarcerated from 1192 to 1193. His crime was insulting…

  • Museum

    Schloss Artstetten

    Built from the ruins of a 13th-century medieval castle and tinkered with for 700 years, Artstetten castle gained fame and glory after passing into the…

  • Cathedral

    Dom

    This cathedral runs an architectural gamut from the Romanesque (it dates from the late 13th century) to the Gothic and beyond to the baroque. The…

  • Abbey

    Stift Heiligenkreuz

    This medieval monastery is one of the country’s most beautiful and is not only the second-oldest Cistercian monastery in the world but the oldest…

  • Park

    Kurpark

    The Kurpark is a magnificent setting for a stroll or as a place to repose on the benches in front of the bandstand, where free concerts are held from May…

  • Square

    Rathausplatz

    The Rathausplatz is a pretty town square lined with cafes and eye-catching pastel-coloured buildings. It is dominated by the Rathaus (town hall) on its…

  • Palace

    Schloss Schallaburg

    This palace is famous not only for its stunning architecture but also for the innovative exhibitions it houses, along with its lovely gardens. A wonderful…

  • Church

    Pfarrkirche St Veit

    Known as the ‘Cathedral of the Wachau’, the large baroque parish church boasts colourful frescos by Martin Johann Schmidt, an 18th-century local artist…

  • Ruins

    Freilichtmuseum Petronell

    The open-air museum is the major attraction in Petronell-Carnuntum itself and lies on the site of the old civilian town. It includes ruins of the public…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Lower Austria.