Travel guide Mostviertel
Mostviertel, easily accessible by train or car
The diverse Mostviertel is the southwestern part of Lower Austria. It borders the
Waldviertel in the north, and the
Steiermark and
Upper Austria in the southwest. You can conveniently reach your private holiday apartment with the ÖBB Westbahn (e.g., from
Salzburg and Vienna). From St. Pölten train station, the Mariazellerbahn goes to Pielachtal, and the Traisentalbahn to Traisen-Gölsental. By car, you can reach your accommodation in Mostviertel from Munich via the A 8 and A 1 motorways in about three and a half hours.
Perfect weather for summer and winter holidays
The Mostviertel in
Lower Austria has a mild climate for the country that provides lush vegetation. Wine, fruit, and vegetables grow here. In April, thousands of fruit trees transform the area into a white blossom sea. For a
mountain holiday, the Mostviertel Alps have an alpine climate. Thus, Mostviertel offers the best weather for hiking and nature holidays in summer, as well as skiing holidays in winter. Your holiday accommodation with TV and parking in an excellent location amidst beautiful scenery awaits you.
Skip this chapter if you don't like Most
The name says it all: In the Mostviertel, everything revolves around Most. This refers to pear and/or apple must. While in the Frankfurt area, mainly apples are processed into must; in Mostviertel, it's pears. At Heurigen (seasonal wine taverns), you get fresh must with homemade Jause (home-baked bread, local cheese and sausage specialties, and typical pastries) in late summer. The region has over 300 different varieties of pear trees, including Pichelbirne, Amstettner Mostbirne, Honnelbirne, and many more. Besides Most, vinegar, Frizzante, juices, and spirits are also produced from pears. Numerous festivities take place throughout the year, which, unsurprisingly, revolve exclusively around pear must: January 20 is Mostheiligen Sebastian's day, with a Most pilgrimage, the election of a Mostbaron, Most spring, and Mostlauf (not Mostsaufen). For those who've had enough of Most, the Mostviertel offers excellent white wine in the Traisental. Riesling and Grüner Veltliner are the specialties. Enjoy a glass on the balcony of your holiday apartment.
Exploring one of Austria's most beautiful cultural landscapes
Over 3,000 kilometers of hiking trails crisscross through meadows, forests, and fields. In the southern part, it becomes alpine, leading over mountains and through gorges, alpine pastures, and summits. If you like Most, follow one of the 100 hiking trails along the Most Road with countless rest stops (caution: the alcohol content of pear must is between five and eight volume percent, and you hardly taste it!). By the way, Austria is known for being pet-friendly – perfect for a
holiday with a pet or dog in Mostviertel. For cyclists, the Danube Cycle Route leads to Southeast Europe, or follow the Traisental Cycle Route to Mariazell. In winter, the ski resorts Göstling-Hochkar and Lackenhof am Ötscher attract visitors with around 40 kilometers of slopes and 17 lifts. Visit a farm with your little ones, where adventure awaits both young and old. More attractions and sights are not too far away from your holiday home or apartment featuring a spacious living area.
Everything around Most and beyond
The Ardagger Monastery houses the diverse experience and pleasure center MostBirnHaus with an exhibition on cultural history. Learn all about tree cultivation and most production. The museum shop offers the largest selection of local products in the region. The Mostviertelmuseum in Haag focuses on objects and tools from rural life, while an attached open-air museum provides insight into 20 different buildings. Among the sacred buildings, Stift Seitenstetten, the so-called "Vierkanter Gottes," stands out; a Vierkanter is a specific form of a farm. The pilgrimage basilica of Sonntagberg impresses with its opulent baroque interior design. Travel even further back in history at the Schallaburg, one of the best-preserved residential castles in the military district, featuring changing exhibitions. In total, nearly 30 castles, castle ruins, and palaces, as well as numerous old churches with characteristic (Gothic) cross-ribbed vaults and (later) Baroque furnishings can be found here. Many of these sights can be combined using the Mostviertel's museum railways.