Lilienfeld: Abbey History and Mountain Landscapes

When looking for a hotel in Lilienfeld, it helps to decide what you want to focus on during your trip: the Cistercian Abbey and the story of Mathias Zdarsky offer cultural themes, while Muckenkogel invites you to explore the landscape. The abbey park, museum and specific tours provide additional perspectives. This lets you plan your trip around architectural and regional history or outdoor activities.

Abbey, Library and Park

Lilienfeld Cistercian Abbey was founded in 1202 by Leopold VI the Glorious, Duke of the Babenbergs, and is considered Austria’s largest medieval monastery. You can enter the abbey without a guided tour. Highlights include the medieval cloister, the church, the medieval chapter house and the neo-Gothic fountain house. The contrast between the medieval rooms and the neo-Gothic fountain house brings the abbey’s different architectural periods to life.

The library, established around 1730, contains 39,000 printed books, 119 incunabula and 226 manuscripts. Listing the incunabula and manuscripts separately makes clear that the collection includes early printed works and handwritten holdings as well as a large number of printed books.

The abbey park offers a different perspective: designed in the spirit of the early 19th century, its landscaped grounds feature exotic trees, winding paths, streams and small ponds. While the abbey’s architecture and interiors take centre stage, the paths and waterways shape the landscape in the park.

Museum and Mathias Zdarsky

The Lilienfeld Museum explores silver and coal mining, the pilgrimage route to Mariazell, and the district’s industrial and natural history. Its collections include minerals, fossils, an insect collection and a historic weaving room. The museum is currently closed for renovation. Check whether it has reopened before visiting.

Mathias Zdarsky lived in Lilienfeld from the late 19th century onwards. He designed a sturdy ski binding that made it possible to ski down steep slopes and developed the “Alpine (Lilienfeld) Ski Technique” in the mountains around Lilienfeld. On 19 March 1905, he held the first alpine ski race in history on Muckenkogel in Lilienfeld. Photos and documents in the Zdarsky Stüberl at Gasthaus Eberl commemorate him.

Walks and Mountain Hikes on Muckenkogel

Muckenkogel offers opportunities for walking, hiking, climbing and mountain biking through its forests and meadows. From the mountain, the view extends north across the Danube Valley and south into the Alps. A chairlift provides access to the alpine pasture region around 1,248-metre-high Muckenkogel.

The circular route from Lilienfeld to Muckenkogel takes in alpine pastures, viewpoints, two waterfalls and several places to stop for refreshments. It connects a range of scenic spots and resting places. The references to viewpoints and waterfalls also offer specific highlights along the route, without assuming a particular walking time or level of difficulty.

More Trails to Waterfalls and Cycling Routes

A route from the valley station leads to Kolmer Waterfall, then continues along the Kolmsteig trail to Kleine Waterfall and Lilienfelder Hütte. This tour features two named waterfalls and a mountain hut.

The Traisental Cycle Path also runs through Wilhelmsburg to Lilienfeld. This section follows paved riverside paths and quiet side roads, with no significant climbs. For trip planning, this route description offers a separate point of reference alongside the activities and views on Muckenkogel.

Discover more destinations: Mitterbach am Erlaufsee, Wienerbruck, Kaumberg, Rohrbach an der Gölsen, Hohenberg, Annaberg bei Mariazell, Eschenau an der Traisen, Ramsau bei Hainfeld.

View the main travel overview: Lilienfeld.