Attractions - Austria

Attractions - Vienna

Lower Austria, Austria

Blessed with the beautiful scenery of the River Danube Valley with its wines, castles and religious buildings, Lower Austria is a wonderful province to visit. It also boasts the Wienerwald - a lovely forested area with great walks and spas - and the Semmering, a popular holiday destination in the south. Austria’s glorious capital, Vienna, makes a great start-off point from which to explore the surrounding province of Lower Austria.

There is no better way to see the province in all its glory than from the perspective of the Danube valley, so take one of the many boat tours on offer to enjoy the scenic Wachau section, from Melk and Krems. This section is flanked by gorgeous vineyards, wine-producing villages, forested slopes and hundreds of magnificent, lofty fortresses. These fortresses were built due to the river and valley’s historical importance as a corridor between east and west. Even the monasteries and abbeys have fortified defences to replicate those of the fortresses. Rent a bicycle and take a leisurely ride on some of the excellent riverside bicycle tracks from Vienna to Krems on the south bank and from Krems to Linz on both north and south banks. Alternatively, take the bicycle track from the east of Vienna, running north of the Danube to Hainburg. Dominating the town of Melk, the superb Baroque monastery, Stift Melk, provides impressive views of the surrounding area from its terraces, as well as a huge church with twin spires and a high octagonal dome. The impressive Baroque interior of the church will astound the most hardened sightseer, with its prancing angels and gold swirls. The theatrical high altar scene showing St Peter and St Paul, by Peter Widerin, is enhanced by the ceiling paintings of Johann Michael Rottmayr, who also painted those in the dome.

One of the Wachau district’s most attractive villages is Durnstein, where the ruins of a castle - the Kuenringerburg - high up on a hill commands a superb view of the Danube as it winds through the valley. Stroll among the ruins and soak in the historic atmosphere of the castle where King Richard I was incarcerated in 1192 on his way back to England from the Crusades. And after your journey into the past rejoin the 21st century and sample some of the splendid local wines in one of the local taverns. To round off your stay in this unique area of Austria, enjoy some of the indoor and outdoor activities on offer in the Semmering resort or leave the beaten track to wander along the numerous trails in the Wienerwald, the woods near Vienna.

Subscribe to our European Newsletter