Excursion Destinations

The most important landmarks in Lower Austria include:

• Melk Abbey: Baroque Benedictine abbey above the Danube, international symbol of Lower Austria and part of the Wachau UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Wachau: Terraced vineyards between Melk and Krems, historic towns, abbeys and castles – an UNESCO World Heritage site and the region's flagship attraction.
• Göttweig Abbey: "Austrian Montecassino" above the Danube Valley, a landmark that shapes the Wachau skyline.
• St. Pölten: Provincial capital with a Baroque old town and modern government district; cathedral and Klangturm (sound tower) as striking landmarks.
• Wine cellar lanes: rows of wine press houses and cellars, intangible cultural heritage and particularly common in the Weinviertel region.
• Carnuntum & Heidentor: Roman cityscape on the Danube, the Heidentor as a striking symbol of ancient heritage.
• Mariazellerbahn: Historic narrow-gauge railway from St. Pölten to Mariazell, iconic connection through the Pielach Valley.
• Retzer Windmill: One of the last operational windmills in Austria and an iconic landmark of the wine town of Retz.
• Semmering Railway: The world's first mountain railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and symbol of summer retreats.
• Schneeberg: 2,076 m high local mountain at the gates of Vienna and striking peak of the Vienna Alps.
• Rax & Rax Areal Ropeway: Rocky plateau on the eastern edge of the Alps; the Rax Areal Ropeway, opened in 1926, is a legendary gateway to Vienna's local mountains.
• Castles and palaces: Aggstein and Dürnstein castle ruins, Schallaburg Renaissance palace, Grafenegg Palace and the Marchfeld palaces of Schloss Hof, Eckartsau, Marchegg and Orth as defining buildings of the region.

The top excursion destinations include the officially recognised "TOP Excursion Destinations in Lower Austria":
over 50 attractions that carry their own seal of quality – from railways and mountain railways to castles and palaces, culinary, garden and experience worlds, museums and exhibitions, abbeys and monasteries to thermal spas, animal parks, nature parks and national parks. They meet defined service and quality criteria. You can also see which excursion destinations carry the seal of quality under the awards on the detailed pages of our excursion destinations. 

Many excursion destinations offer discounted tickets for children, young people, students, senior citizens, families or groups. There are also discount cards such as the Lower Austria Card, which gives you free admission to over 350 excursion destinations. 

Excursion destinations are attractive all year round. Spring and autumn offer ideal conditions for combining culture and nature, while in summer festivals and events complement the offering, and in winter museums, exhibitions and cities provide a slower-paced cultural experience.