Themed Driving Routes 

Southern Styrian Wine Route

Tour Austria from Ehrenhausen to Leutschach, passing the idyllic villages of Berghausen, Ratsch, Salztal, Glanz, Langegg, Schlossberg and Eichberg-Trautenburg. Total length: 25 km

A great number of vineyards line this route that can be reached from the resorts of Ehrenhausen, Gamlitz, Spielfeld and Leutschach. On your way you pass Berghausen, Ratsch, Sulztal, Glanz, Langegg, Schlossberg and Eichberg-Trautenburg.
The wine sorts most frequently grown in this region are Weissburgunder, Muskateller, Traminer and Schilcher.
Another delicious local specialty is the typically flavored pumpkin-seed oil.

Highlights:
The soft hills and mild climate of the Southern Styrian Wine Road favor the cultivation of excellent and frequently awarded wines as well as tasty fruit. Other attractions are the Gamlitz Wine Museum, the presentation of fine local brandies called "Styrian Triology of Fruits", various wine festivals all year round and interesting exhibitions all along the route.

Waldviertel Textile Route

The Textile Road (located in Lower Austria) offers one of the most fascinating tours in Austria for those fascinated by the beauty and history of textiles, and leads from Gross-Siegharts to Weitra (around 50 kilometers). The total round-trip has a length of 180 kilometers

Since time immemorial the history of the Waldviertel has been intricately woven with the textile industry. As early as in 1759,  72 guilds of linen weavers existed in this region. By the middle of the 19th century almost every household had its own loom and the population census of 1869 showed that more than two thirds of all employed in industrial businesses worked in the textile field - from the traditional sheep-wool production to weavers’ guilds and spinning and weaving manufacturers. Hence, the textile industry is part of the history of the Waldviertel and has always left its imprint on its inhabitants and landscape.

The Waldviertel textile road invites to a discovery tour of the past and present times. On 40 different locations you get an insight into the broad range of technological facilities and manufacturing types reflecting also the working and living conditions at different periods of time.

Highlight: First Waldviertel Weaving Museum / Waldviertel an der Thaya
The Waidhofen regional museum houses a representative collection of the textile machinery used in this region. The new wing shows the development of technology and work from past to present giving an insight into the tight-weaving technology for the production of ribbons and wide-weaving technology for the production of fabrics. Preparations and the process of weaving itself are demonstrated at the simple hand-weaving loom and at different weaving machines. The museum shows the whole development of the weaving manufacture from a self-made loom to an 18th-century weaving mill to a ribbon weaving machine for special designs.

Address:
Moriz Schadekgsse 4
A-3830 Waidhofen an der Thaya

Opening times:
May 12 - September 30, Sundays and holidays 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon and 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., July and August, Friday 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. and Saturday 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. (guided visits for groups by prior arrangement).
Tel.: +43/2842/51500

Austrian Romantic Route

Who can resist romance? Tour Austria between Salzburg and Vienna for the Romantic Road, crossing the Salzkammergut Lake District, the alpine foothills, the Danube regions of Strudengau and Nibelungengau and the Wachau Valley. Total length: 380 km

Like pearls on a lace the cultural and regional gems on this road are lined one after the other. If you are in a hurry the motorway from Salzburg to Vienna is the quickest solution. However, if you can spare some time for the real beauties on this route the Romantic Road gives you a unique survey of the scenic variety and innumerable sights between Salzburg, Upper Austria and Lower Austria - from Lake Wolfgangsee’s holiday region to the over 4500 year-old salt village of Hallstatt, the giant ice caves of the Dachstein glacier, the medieval town of Steyr, the imposing baroque complex of the Benedictine abbey of Melk to the renaissance-style Schallaburg castle and the romantic wine resort of Klosterneuburg at Vienna’s gates.

Highlight: Melk Abbey
The Benedictine abbey, situated at the western entrance of the Wachau valley was founded in 1089 on a steep rock above the Danube. Built by Jakob Prandtauer, it is the oldest residence of the Babenberg dynasty bearing their tomb and countless art treasures.

Opening times
May - September 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (entry until 5:00 p.m.). Pre- and post season: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (entry until 4:00 p.m.). Tel. +43/2752/555-232

Cider Route Lower Austria

Tour Austria is a circular route, beginning in St. Pantaleon/St. Valentin in the north-west of Lower Austria’s ”Mostviertel” – Austria’s famous Cider Region. The route winds its way among the apple orchard-covered hills before returning to its starting-point. Its length totals some 200 kilometres.

In autumn the apples and pears that grow here are picked, then washed, crushed and pressed and finally left to ferment for six weeks. After fermentation, the juice is filtered off and is then ready for drinking. By this stage it has acquired the designation ”Most” (cider) which has lent its name to the whole region.
The Mostviertel is Europe’s largest continuous area of pear orchards. In spring the pear trees transform the undulating hillsides into a sea of blossoms. And throughout the year the fruit feature prominently in the region’s culinary traditions.
Following the Cider Route is perhaps the best way to appreciate the great scenic beauty and cultural richness of this region. The panoramic route, 200 kilometres long and clearly signposted, links up 20 cider inns, 21 cider taverns, 24 farms selling their produce directly, and a number of panorama points affording a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside. There are theme hiking paths to explore, and several instructional routes taking you to attractive excursion destinations on foot or by bicycle.

HIGHLIGHT:
Seitenstetten Abbey and its Rose Garden
The neat, inviting market town of Seitenstetten in the heart of the Mostviertel traces its documented history back to the year 1109. The Benedictine Abbey dates from three years later. The work of the great Baroque architect Josef Munggast [heisst er nicht Munggenast??] and of Master Builder Gotthard Hayberger, the abbey ranks as one of the most spectacular sights along the Cider Route. The Gothic Abbey Church, the Romanesque Baronial Chapel, the Marble Hall, the opulent library and the staircase with its fresco by Bartolomeo Altomonte bear witness to a long and proud history.

Open:
Easter to All saints’ Day, guided tours at 10am and 3pm, on Sundays and public holidays at 10:30am and 3pm.

Timber Route in Styria

The Timber Route, which criss-crosses the Murau holiday region, has a total length of about 150 kilometres. The focus of the journey is the Timber Museum, with its fascinating insights into the world of wood in St. Ruprecht ob Murau.

The manifold uses of wood – as a construction and industrial material, as an energy source, as the raw material for musical instruments or toys, and as the medium for works of art – look back on a centuries-old tradition in the heavily forested holiday region around Murau. Timber is a major factor in the region’s economic and cultural life.

The Styrian Timber Route links up 25 towns and villages. It takes you on a fascinating voyage of discovery into the world of the ”green gold”. The more than sixty exhibits along the route document the essential role which wood has played in this region – a role which is further illustrated by the wooden shrines, chapels, fences, wells and functional buildings which line the route. To enhance the visitor’s enjoyment of the countryside there are hiking paths, cycling tours and excursions in horse-drawn carts.

HIGHLIGHT:
Wooden Europabrücke
This bridge is one of the most fascinating items on the itinerary, spanning as it does the river Mur for a width of 45 MITREs. Constructed from 300 cubic MITREs of Styrian larch wood, it is a masterpiece of timber construction. Europe’s largest wooden bridge has a load-bearing capacity of 65 tonnes.

Waldviertel Fairytale Castle Route

One of the most magical of the tours in Austria, the Fairytale Castle Route is made up of 11 fairy-tale worlds in the Waldviertel and one in Perchtoldsdorf. The route runs the length and breadth of the Waldviertel, from Rosenburg to Gmünd-Nebelstein, on to Weissenkirchen and down to the Wachau – a total length of 277 kilometres.

A collection of more than 10,000 costume dolls from 155 countries opens the door to the fascinating world of countless fairy-tales. These tales are dramatised and illustrated at several stages of the route, each time in harmony with the specifics of the historical setting. The displays include the fairy-tales of the Brothers Grimm, teddy bears, dolls, a Dwarfs & Giants World, the world of Punch & Judy, Harlequins, fairy-tale pictures, the world of rocks and crystals, indigenous forest animals and much more besides. There are also fairy-tale narrations and Punch & Judy shows to captivate the hearts of young visitors.

HIGHLIGHT: Fairy-tale House and Dolls Museum at Rosenau Palace
The Fairy-tale House and Dolls Museum at Rosenau Palace illustrates the fairy-tales of the Brothers Grimm and displays teddy bears along with historic utensils used in the flax and wool trade, a teddy bear school, a dwarfs & giants world, a display of indigenous birds, costume dolls from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tibet, Nepal, Kashmir, Indonesia and Malaysia, astrology, fairy-tale narrations and so on.
Open:
April to November daily except Mondays 9am – 5pm.

Iron Route

The Iron Route, which tours through the three provinces of Lower and Upper Austria and Styria, takes you exploring the world of iron.



The ”Eiserne” is an ancient suit of armour on display in the Local Museum in Waidhofen an der Ybbs. It aptly illustrates what is true of the region as a whole: ”Ferrum chalybsque urbis nutrimenta” (iron and steel are the town’s livelihood). In the Middle Ages the region’s life revolved entirely around iron and iron processing. The history of this industry comes to life in the large number of museums and exhibitions along the route, which passes through the Pyhrn-Eisenwurzen holiday region and goes round the perimeter of the newly established Limestone Alps National Park. The mean scenic feature of the Styrian section is the rugged landscape stretching from the majestic Gesäuse Mountains in the West and the peak of the Hochschwab in the East. At its centre lies the 1,465-metre summit of the Erzberg, the emblem of Styria and the traditional hub of the Austrian mining industry. The Eisenstrasse Culture Park includes fourteen museums, fifteen theme walks and four historic forges.

HIGHLIGHT: The Erzberg on Styria’s Eisenstrasse
The Erzberg belongs geologically to the Palaeozoic greywacke zone which extends in an East-West direction from the Mesozoic northern limestone alps in the North of Lower Austria and the central Alps in the province’s South to Tirol. It is composed of various slates and limestones as well as effusive rocks. The mine, now open to the public, affords an insight into the subterranean labyrinth of tunnels and into the working life of the miners of former ages.

Open:
May 1 to October 31 daily, guided tours between 10am and 3pm, regular times for families and individuals in the mine: 10am, 12:30 and 3pm

Bregenzerwald Cheese Route

The Cheese Route through the Bregenzerwald of Vorarlberg is the ideal way to explore the region and its close ties with cheese-making: from dairy farms to cheese speciality inns, from pitchforks to dinner forks, and from alpine pastures to milkmaids. If you’re a cheese connoisseur, this is for you. The route extends over a total distance of some 70 kilometres.



Cheese-making looks back on a long history in the Bregenzerwald and has left its mark on the region’s culture and traditions.
The Cheese Route is also an opportunity to enjoy the beauties of a lovingly tended rural landscape as well as the produce of the region’s dairy farms: creamy natural yoghurt and smooth locally churned butter.

The route is not so much a single road as a local network ideally linking the various aspects of cheese production. It takes in many of the most memorable features of the Bregenzerwald: the fine old traditional buildings, the deeply rooted crafts traditions, and folklore, all immersed in the idyllic setting of a region which remains a world in itself.

HIGHLIGHT: Alpine Dairy Farming Museum in Hittisau
The exhibits include an alpine dairy kitchen exactly the way it was used 300 years ago. The expert tour guides explain how the various historic utensils were used in the making of the cheese.

Open:  Wed 10am

Palace Route/Burgenland, Styria

The Palace Route links up a number of fine palaces and castles in Burgenland and Styria. It extends from the Festenburg near Bruck an der Lafnitz in the north to Bad Radkersburg in the south. Visiting all of the palaces and castles entails around 350 kilometres of driving through some of the most beautiful scenic routes making this one of the most popular tours in Austria.



The special history of Styria and Burgenland has made them regions with the highest density of palaces and castles in the world. There are no fewer than nineteen of them along the route: imposing witnesses of a bygone ages going right back to the twelfth century in which chivalry and the culture of the landed gentry held sway. The castles were originally built to ward off invaders from the east, and they formed what came to be known as the ”Fence of the Holy Roman Empire”. Over the centuries most of them were refashioned into stately and palatial Gothic, Renaissance or Baroque residences.

Today these fine palaces harbour a wealth of leisure opportunities – golf and tennis, but also thermal spa resorts or ideal starting-points for touring the region’s culinary attractions or enjoying its scenic beauties from a bicycle saddle.

HIGHLIGHT: Herberstein Palace
This architectural jewel in eastern Styria is a blend of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque building styles. The magnificent Baronial Hall and the Italianate Florentine Court vividly document the pre-eminence of the Herberstein dynasty. Other attractions include: the historic park and Sigmund Garden with multimedia room (guided tours daily at 2pm), zoo with more than 500 animals from all over the world, guided tours and zoo school.

Open:  Daily all year round, summer 8am – 6pm, winter 10am – 4pm

Mühlviertel Museum Route

The Museum Route which criss-crosses the Freistadt, Pregarten and Bad Leonfelden regions in the Mühlviertel in Upper Austria takes in thirty-one attractive excursion destinations over a total distance of some 160 kilometres.

The original idea for the Mühlviertel Museum Route dates back to 1988 and came about during work on the ”Village Development Freiwald” project. It was modelled on the French concept of the ”Eco-Musée”, where ”Eco” denotes both economy (i.e. business) and ecology (i.e. the environment). The overall theme, then, is the interrelationship between man and his surroundings.

Unlike a conventional museum, the Museum Route does not display exhibits removed from their original surroundings and placed in an artificial context. It leaves the objects where they belong, so that the visitor can gain a vivid impression into the heritage of the Mühlviertel region’s historical and cultural legacy.

The twenty-eight museums along the route – some of them modest in size but sharply focused on their themes – afford a memorable insight into the lifestyles and working conditions of bygone ages. It is a journey in time to the days of professions which have long since died out: the artisan, the miller, the cottager, the blacksmith, the tiler and the dyer.

The various museums also offer programmes of activities and additional features like special exhibitions, seminars and courses, children’s events and crafts demonstrations. Art-lovers, incidentally, should on no account miss seeing the three unique Gothic winged altars in Kefermarkt, Waldburg and Rauchenödt.

HIGHLIGHT:
Pelmberg outdoor museum in Hellmonsödt
The ”Mittermayr”, whose documented history goes back to the year 1325, is now a listed historical building. It conveys a colourful impression of life on a typical Mühlviertel farm. The buildings were still in use until 1953. The exhibits include the widely used pre-industrial utensils and farming implements. A unique feature is the stable hewn into the granite rock, which can still be seen. The entrance is concealed behind elderberry trees and shrubs. It was used as a hiding place in times of war and persecution.

Open:  May 1 to October 31, Wed, Sun 2-5pm, Sat 10am –noon and 2-5pm

Styrian Apple Route

The Apple Route, full of blossom in the spring, ripe fruit in the autumn, is one of the most rustic of Austrian tours and starts on the B54 trunk road, the road near Gleisdorf, and takes in five nearby towns, each one home to the region’s natural treasure. The route is marked with wooden signposts and has an overall length of 25 kilometres.


With the advent of spring, the quarter of a million fruit trees which line the road begin to blossom – an apt illustration of why this region has come to be known as ”Austria’s orchard”.

Not far from the Styrian capital Graz, the Apple Route winds its way through the undulating hills of Eastern Styria, past stately farm buildings, picturesque villages and hushed forests. Painstakingly fashioned wooden plaques provide information on the local crafts traditions and the best places to find the finest rural products like honey, cider and fruit brandies.

HIGHLIGHT: ”House of the Apple”, Apple Museum, Harl 25, A-8182 Puch near Weiz.
Since the autumn of 1990 the Kelz fruit farm at Harl 25 has harboured the ”Styrian Fruit Farming Museum”. The ”House of the Apple” is designed as a living museum. The indoor display area houses a permanent exhibition on the apple and fruit farming in general over the centuries, covering such topics as the apple in mythology, religion, art and folklore, pesticides, protection from hail, marketing, transport and harvesting. The outdoor facilities include the cider press, the bee hut with a display hive, plaques showing the various pests and beneficial animals as they relate to fruit farming, old and new types of apple, a meteorological station and a weather observation tower.

"Haus des Apfels" Apple Museum:
Open:
April 16 to October 31, Tue – Sun 10am – 5pm

Courtesy Austrian Tourist Board