Lower Austria, Austria

State guide with cities, regions, and key information.

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Introduction
Lower Austria (Niederösterreich), the country's largest state, wraps around Vienna and stretches along the Danube — a region of celebrated wine valleys, grand monasteries, the storybook Wachau, and Alpine foothills, all within easy reach of the capital. For travellers it offers the UNESCO Wachau valley with its terraced vineyards and Melk Abbey, the Grüner Veltliner wine country, the historic Semmering mountain railway, spa towns and castles — a rich and varied region on Vienna's doorstep.

Discover Lower Austria

The Wachau is one of Europe's most beautiful river valleys — a UNESCO World Heritage stretch of the Danube where, over some 30 kilometres between Melk and Krems, terraced vineyards and apricot orchards climb the slopes, medieval towns line the banks, and castle ruins crown the hills. At its heart, the wine town of Dürnstein is the picture of the Wachau, with its cobbled lanes, the distinctive blue-and-white baroque tower of its abbey, and above it the ruined castle where the crusader Richard the Lionheart was held captive in 1192. Nearby Weissenkirchen and Spitz are gems of wine and stone. The classic ways to experience the valley are a Danube river cruise, a leisurely cycle along the riverside Danube path between vineyards, or the wine roads, stopping at heurigen taverns. Guarding the valley's western gateway, Melk Abbey is unmissable — an immense, golden baroque Benedictine monastery rising dramatically on a rock above the river, its frescoed church and breathtaking library among the masterpieces of the European baroque.

Travel Types

The Wachau & Melk

The UNESCO Danube valley of Dürnstein and the vineyards, and the great baroque Melk Abbey.

Wine Country

Grüner Veltliner and Riesling along the Wachau, Kamptal and Weinviertel wine roads and heurigen taverns.

Mountains & the Semmering

The Schneeberg and Rax peaks and the UNESCO Semmering mountain railway, Vienna's nearest Alps.

Spas & Castles

The spa town of Baden bei Wien, grand abbeys like Göttweig, and castles from Schloss Hof to Kreuzenstein.

Frequently asked questions

Yes — the Wachau is one of the best day trips from Vienna, about an hour away. A popular approach is to take the train to Melk to see its spectacular abbey, then a Danube river cruise downstream through the terraced vineyards to Dürnstein and Krems, or cycle the riverside path between the wine towns. Tours and trains make it easy without a car. Spring (apricot blossom) and autumn (the wine harvest) are especially lovely times to go.

Lower Austria is Austria's wine heartland, famous above all for Grüner Veltliner — the country's signature crisp, peppery white — and elegant Riesling, especially from the steep terraced vineyards of the Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal. The vast Weinviertel north of the Danube is known for its fresh, peppery Grüner Veltliner and its lanes of old wine cellars. The cellar-lined wine roads, vineyard restaurants and welcoming heurigen taverns make it superb wine-touring country, an easy escape from Vienna.

Melk Abbey is a vast and magnificent baroque Benedictine monastery perched dramatically on a rocky bluff above the Danube at the western end of the Wachau valley — one of the greatest baroque buildings in Europe. Its richly frescoed church, the spectacular marble hall and the breathtaking abbey library (with thousands of medieval manuscripts) are the highlights of a visit. Still a working monastery and school, it's a centrepiece of any Wachau trip, easily reached by train or river cruise from Vienna.

Cities in Lower Austria

2 cities with detailed travel information

Krems an der DonauSankt Pölten