Discover Riedau: Market Culture and LIGNORAMA

Riedau brings together market culture, church history and the LIGNORAMA wood and tool museum. The town lies on the gentle banks of the Pram, south of the hills of the Hausruckviertel and north of the foothills of the Sauwald. Different time frames matter when planning your trip: the horse market takes place on a recurring date, while the adventure pool is a summer offering. The town’s history and the LIGNORAMA collection complement these practical planning details with topics that are interesting regardless of any particular event day.

Market History and the Townscape

Riedau was granted market-town status by Emperor Maximilian I in 1515. The town has long been known for its fairs; linen weavers and master weavers have also been active in trade here since time immemorial. Both the public market tradition and historic trades are therefore part of the town’s history. The centuries-old market square has lost none of its distinctive character to this day. It is a fitting point of reference if you are interested in the historic townscape.

The Horse Market as a Recurring Event

Of Riedau’s four markets, the horse market is the only one that has survived. It has been held on the second Saturday in March every year since 1988. This makes the horse market a specific seasonal event in Riedau’s market history: unlike the general tradition of fairs, it has a named recurring date. Check the date on the calendar for your travel year before planning your visit around it.

Church History and Virtual Stations of the Cross

According to the deed of endowment dated 25 March 1641, the then-branch church in Riedau was elevated to the status of an independent parish church by decree of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria, Bishop of Passau, at the instigation of Gottlieb von Salburg. This date marks a different development from Riedau’s elevation to market-town status in 1515: one concerns the town’s ecclesiastical standing, the other its status as a market town. St. George’s Parish Church also offers a virtual journey from one Station of the Cross to the next. These provide two distinct points of interest: a precisely dated milestone in church history and digital access to a religious subject.

The Diversity of Wood at LIGNORAMA

The LIGNORAMA wood and tool museum has a clear focus on materials. Its unique collection of wood samples comprises more than 1,300 different species of wood from around the world. The exhibition areas cover around 600 m² and are spread across the former Olympia House (main building), the old sawmill and the park. The collection and exhibition venues offer two different perspectives on the museum: one describes the variety of materials, while the other shows how the exhibition is laid out across the site. If you want to plan your trip around a particular subject, wood is the defining focus here.

The Adventure Pool in Summer

The Riedau adventure pool complements these cultural attractions with a seasonal outdoor offering. In summer, four heated outdoor pools are available: a sports pool, a diving pool, a non-swimmer pool and a children’s paddling pool. Operating dates may vary; check in advance to see when the pool will be open during your trip.

Discover more destinations: Esternberg, Münzkirchen, Zell An Der Pram, Eggerding, Sigharting, Gumping, Wernstein Am Inn, Brunnenthal.

Go to the broader travel overview: Schärding.