Category: Lower Austria

Lower Austria

Find out more about Lower Austria, from the last peaks of the Alps in the south of the state and the forests of the Waldviertel in the north through to the towns and abbeys along the banks of the Danube river and the fertile plains and vineyards towards the Austrian border.

The Danube region and its famous sights splits Lower Austria in two.

To the north is the Waldviertel, a mixture of vineyards, forests and lakes leading up to the border with the Czech Republic.

The Ottenstein reservoirs in the Waldviertel region of Lower Austria

The Ottenstein reservoirs in the Waldviertel region of Lower Austria

As the river descends out of the eastern Alps into the Vienna basin the vineyards become more prominent as this is now the Weinviertel (the ‘wine quarter’ of the region).

Heading back west to the south of the river is the Mostviertel, named for the alcoholic drink, a type of cider, produced from the apples and pears which grow in the orchards around this region.

The famous abbeys of Melk and Göttweig and the state capital St Pölten are part of this region.

Further east and still south of the Danube is the Industrieviertel. As its name suggests this was once the industrial heartland south of Vienna.

Although that does not sound too attractive for a visit, this area also includes the Vienna Woods (the renowned ‘Wienerwald’) as well as the Vienna Alps, which offer a small ski resort or two for the inhabitants of the capital city.

The list below shows all of the published articles on AustriaDirect about Lower Austria. Readers may also be interested in our longer guides to various regions and locations:
Sankt Pölten | Wachau Valley | Mostviertel