Eferding: Late Gothic Architecture and City History

Eferding offers travelers a variety of starting points for planning their stay: Late Gothic religious buildings, city and castle history, a seasonal museum, walking routes and an agricultural experience for small groups. This means you can plan your stay around architecture and museums, for example, or around a walking route and a visit by prior arrangement.

Late Gothic Architecture and the History of the Hospital

The Gothic St. Magdalena Chapel of the hospital church features high-quality granite stonework and frescoes dating from around 1430. The hospital church was built as a church for the hospital founded by Rudolf dem Schifer. The chapel’s design and its connection to the history of the hospital are therefore both points of interest. Eferding Cathedral provides a different architectural focus: it was built in the Late Gothic style from 1451 to 1505 and is one of Upper Austria’s most significant hall churches with a stepped layout. The chapel draws attention to granite, frescoes and its former purpose; the cathedral’s construction period and classification as a stepped hall church are defining features. If you are interested in religious buildings, these different aspects are well worth considering side by side.

Starhemberg Castle and the Brewery

Starhemberg Castle also combines historic architecture with museum attractions. The north wing was once a castle belonging to the bishops of Passau and has been documented as a castle since 1167. The castle houses the Princely Starhemberg Family Museum and the Museum of the City of Eferding. The names of the two museums point to their different focuses: the Starhemberg family and the city of Eferding.

The brewery has its own history. It was first mentioned in a document in 1597/98 and formerly belonged to Starhemberg Castle as the “manorial Starhemberg brewery.” It was also converted into a cultural center and music school. The brewery thus offers another way to explore the castle’s history: its former connection to the castle and the building’s conversion come together here. This perspective differs from that of the two museums housed in the castle.

Plan Your Visit to the City Museum Seasonally

The Eferding City Museum is open on Sundays and public holidays from May 1 to September 30; guided tours take place at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. A museum visit is therefore limited to a specific period and certain days of the week. If you would like to include it in your travel plans, schedule your visit around these times and check the dates before you travel.

Walking Routes and Other Activities

The routes also differ in their named starting points. Donausteig Stage 2_G02, “Eferding – Wilhering,” starts in Eferding. The Eferdinger G´schichtenweg starts and ends at the Ost car park by the Eferding adventure pool. The same location is therefore given as both the starting point and the return point for this route. The adventure pool has a 48 m-long water slide. When planning, you can decide whether you are interested in the named Donausteig stage, the G´schichtenweg starting and ending at the Ost car park, or the adventure pool.

For small groups interested in agriculture, Biohof Holzer offers guided tours by prior arrangement. This is a separate thematic activity alongside the religious buildings, museums and walking routes. Since the tour is available only by prior arrangement, booking in advance is part of the planning. This lets you take your group’s different interests into account without treating the tour as equivalent to a museum or route visit that can be planned freely.

Discover more destinations: Stroheim, Pupping, Prambachkirchen, Scharten, Hartkirchen, Aschach An Der Donau, Alkoven, Hinzenbach.

Go to the overview of the wider area: Eferding.