Sankt Pölten: Hiking, Culture and Wine Landscapes

Hiking and history give a stay in Sankt Pölten a clear focus: a 27-kilometre circular high-altitude hiking trail is complemented by shorter themed trails, historic buildings and wine landscapes. Each destination has a different focus. Which ones you choose to visit depends on whether you would rather explore a route, experience cultural history or combine scenery with local cuisine.

Choose hiking trails by distance and theme

The Eichgrabner Höhenwanderweg is a 27-kilometre circular high-altitude hiking trail with twelve access paths. It runs through the Vienna Woods Biosphere Reserve and leads to viewpoints. The Eheweg in Obritzberg-Rust offers a different scale: this walking and hiking trail is 3.5 kilometres long and connects seven themed stations. The distances make it easy to compare the trails, while each station focuses on a different theme.

For a route that can be explored in stages, the Dunkelsteinerwald loop offers a longer option: it is 160 kilometres in total and runs in nine stages. The easy DUR 8 stage leads from Inning to Hafnerbach via Sierninger Berg to Haunoldstein and Groß Sierning. The Keltischer Baumkreisweg Pyhra is not defined by a stated length, but by its tree circle: the trail passes all 22 trees and runs through fields, meadows and small woods along the Perschling. The trails therefore differ not only in length, but also in what they bring to the fore along the way.

The Cultura Trail Römerweg starts at Eichgraben-Altlengbach station and leads to burial mounds dating from the 1st century AD. In Maria-Anzbach, the Buchbergwarte, at over 22 metres high, is a prominent landmark. Those interested in regional nature and scenery can compare these destinations with the trails described here, without experiencing every route in the same way.

Buildings and history in different places

Traismauer brings together several historical themes: the Kulturweg der sprechenden Römer has five stations, and the Hungerturm dates from the 4th or 5th century AD. The Cultura Trail Römerweg also leads to historical remains; the burial mounds along the route are dated to the 1st century AD.

In Maria-Anzbach stands the pilgrimage church of the Mother of Mercy, an old fortified church dating from the 15th century. The late Gothic Schönbeck Mill generated the town's first electricity in the early 20th century. The Wienerwaldmuseum Eichgraben, housed in the Fuhrwerkerhaus, offers further insight into regional topics through collections on geology, archaeology, folklore and crafts.

Other places highlight different periods: Sanatorium Purkersdorf was built in 1904 and 1905 in the style of the Vienna Secession. The parish church of St Martin in Markersdorf dates from 1670 and was built over an earlier Romanesque building. On a steep slope on the banks of the Pielach, some very old walls of the medieval fortified castle remain at the Osterburg ruins. These examples show how varied the historical traces are from place to place.

Scenery, nature and local dining

In Traismauer, plains formed by the Danube and Traisen are flanked by vineyards. In Inzersdorf-Getzersdorf, Heurigen wine taverns, wineries and restaurants are open year-round. As individual businesses may change, it is worth checking their opening hours before your visit. Schloss Goldegg's Castello restaurant offers dining; check whether the restaurant is currently open before you arrive.

Purkersdorf Nature Park includes extensive beech forests, a large animal enclosure and three wildlife enclosures. Around the Wienerwaldsee, well-marked and well-maintained paths are used by recreational athletes and walkers. The lake itself lies within a water protection zone where swimming is prohibited. This clear restriction is important when choosing activities: the paths around the lake and the body of water have different uses.

If you want a hiking route to shape your stay, the places you focus on will differ from those you would choose for a focus on buildings, a museum or wine country.

Discover more destinations: Hofstetten, Altlengbach, Kasten Bei Böheimkirchen, Sankt Pölten, Neustift-Innermanzing, Frankenfels, Loich, Oberhofen, Laaben, Warth, Viehofen, Maria Anzbach, Kapelln, Herzogenburg, Wald, Linden, Wilhelmsburg, Neidling, Lauterbach, Herzogenburg, Ober-Grafendorf, Gemeinde Karlstetten, Nußdorf Ob Der Traisen, Neusiedl, Traismauer, Inzersdorf Ob Der Traisen, Zagging, Statzendorf, Ambach, Unterwölbling, Stössing, Brunnrotte, Wimpassing an der Pielach, Gemeinde Markersdorf-Haindorf, Unterdambach, Rabenstein an der Pielach, Oberwölbling, Kirchberg an der Pielach, Stollberg, Neulengbach, Grünsbach, Oed.

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