Straß in the Straßertal: Churches, Museums and Hiking Trails

Straß in the Straßertal offers a range of themes to help you plan your trip: local history and sacred buildings, collections on the history of firefighting and crafts, and hiking trails with designated focuses. The Wayside Shrine Hiking Trail runs through the town center and the surrounding vineyards, while the Ruins Hiking Trail crosses hills to Falkenberg Castle Ruins. You can tailor your stay to your cultural interests, preferred trail length and desired activity.

Cultural History and Listed Buildings

The parish church of the Assumption of Mary is an early Baroque hall church with a transept; it is dated to 1638–1646. A Loreto chapel was added to the west side of the church in 1666. The Straß Firefighting Museum offers another perspective on local history. It traces the development of the local fire brigade, founded in 1874. The collection includes equipment, flags, sheet music from the fire brigade band and records from three former fire stations in the area. Notable items include a 1897 hydrophore, a 1930 fire engine and an early powder extinguisher from a local carpentry workshop.

As of June 23, 2026, the heritage register lists Falkenberg Castle Ruins, the former parish church known as the All Saints’ Church, together with its archaeological surroundings, and the Chapel of St. John of Nepomuk as protected monuments. Also listed are the Marienbrücke, also called Kaisersteg, and the statue of the Immaculate Conception. The Baroque Chapel of St. John of Nepomuk is at the junction with the Museum Circular Hiking Trail and was built in 1722.

Hiking Trails by Length and Theme

A large information board in the center of Straßertal shows five hikes; the trails are well signposted. Shorter options include the Family Loop in Straß, the Germanic Tribes Loop and the Hiata Loop in Elsarn. These are joined by the longer Erste Lagen Loop and a longer mountain biking route. The different lengths and activities help you fit your planned outdoor exercise into your itinerary.

The approximately 6 km-long Wayside Shrine Hiking Trail begins at the parish church and leads through the town center and surrounding vineyards to statues of saints, crosses and wayside shrines. The Sword Cross in the local wine cellar lane is a separate site: it dates from 1489 and is described as the oldest datable wayside cross in Lower Austria. The Ruins Hiking Trail has a different focus. It leads from the church in Straß over the hills to Falkenberg Castle Ruins. The comparison, therefore, centers on the approximately 6 km-long Wayside Shrine Hiking Trail and the castle ruins as the named destination of the Ruins Hiking Trail.

The Museum Circular Hiking Trail also has clearly designated endpoints: it begins at the Straß im Straßertale – Marktplatz bus stop and ends at Obernholz – Landesstraße. These start and end points offer practical guidance for planning this route.

Museums and Regional Themes

The open-air museum Germanisches Gehöft Elsarn presents a reconstruction of a Germanic farmstead from the 2nd and 3rd centuries, based on archaeological findings. The museum includes a large residential and stable building, a granary, craft houses, a smoking facility, a Germanic display garden and a nature trail. The exhibition thus combines a reconstructed farmstead with the various buildings and features of the open-air museum.

The Cooperage and Viticulture Museum traces the journey of wine from the vine through to processing. In the former workshop of the Schmid cooper family, barrel-making is presented step by step. During guided tours, you can watch the saw and a Venetian gate saw in operation. Check the current arrangements in advance if you plan to take a tour.

Practical Travel Information

The Straßertal app offers interactive information about the Straßertal and the open-air museum Germanisches Gehöft Elsarn, as well as the origins and way of life of the Germanic peoples. It complements the museums’ themes with insights into their history and way of life. From April 1 to October 31, e-bikes are available to rent from the Vinothek Weinkontraste by advance reservation. Check availability before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Droß, Kammern, Albrechtsberg an der Großen Krems, Rastenfeld, Furth Bei Göttweig, Wösendorf In Der Wachau, Langenlois, Spitz.

Return to the main travel overview: Krems-Land.