Amstetten: Cider Culture, Cycling Path, Nature and History

Amstetten combines regional cider culture with cycling paths, nature experiences and historical destinations. When choosing accommodation, you can therefore focus on different priorities: a tour along the Ybbs, a tasting in the maturing cellar, a visit to the wildlife park or an excursion to museums and historic buildings. The most important destinations are spread across different places in the surrounding area, so your stay can be planned according to your interests and preferred daily schedule.

Cycling along the Ybbstal Cycling Path

The central section of the Ybbstal Cycling Path is 55 kilometres long and runs between Waidhofen an der Ybbs and Lunz am See along the railway line of the former Ybbstal Railway. The route is flat and close to the river. This gives the trail a clearly recognisable character: it connects the landscape of the Ybbstal with a former railway line and, along the described section, has no significant changes in elevation. When planning a cycling tour, the specific section of the route and the desired connection between the towns are particularly important.

Amstetten can also be reached by train. ÖBB Railjet and Westbahn trains stop here, and bicycles can be taken on board. A regional train also runs hourly from Amstetten to Waidhofen an der Ybbs, stopping at several stations along the Ybbstal Cycling Path. Separate timetables apply on weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Those who do not want to start and finish a cycling tour in the same place can therefore include this connection in their daily planning, but must take the appropriate day of travel and the applicable timetable into account.

Cider culture at the Mostelleria

A distinctive regional focus can be found at the Mostelleria. There, an interactive exhibition explains how MOSTELLO is made. The drink itself is a pear dessert-wine composition made from old, rare cider pear varieties from the surrounding area. The combination of the product, pear varieties and production process gives the subject a specific regional character.

At the Mostelleria, visitors can also experience barrel tastings in the maturing cellar. This allows a stay in Amstetten to be centred on the culinary character of the Mostviertel without limiting the visit to a purely museum experience.

Nature between an adventure trail and a wildlife park

The Forstheide offers a clearly defined circular route, “On the Trail of the Forstheide”, measuring 2.1 kilometres and featuring 14 interactive stations. Around half of the Forstheide area is designated as a Natura 2000 site and is therefore part of a Europe-wide nature conservation network.

Another nature destination is Stadt Haag Wildlife Park. Around 70 native and exotic animal species live there, with approximately 700 animals in total. The wildlife park is located in the 33-hectare park of Salaberg Castle. Guided tours can be arranged online or by telephone. For daily planning, this means distinguishing between an independent visit and a tour arranged in advance; this does not imply any particular duration or fixed itinerary for the tour.

Museums and historical sites

The Mostviertel Farmers’ Museum displays around 22,000 objects from the lives of Mostviertel farmers and craftspeople. It also presents the working and living environment of Mostviertel farmers, as well as rural workshop ensembles representing 20 different trades. The large number of objects and the variety of craft areas make the museum an independent cultural destination with a strong connection to rural everyday life.

The Ostarrichi Museum in Neuhofen an der Ybbs is dedicated to the history of Austria’s origins. Austrian history is told there in seven stages, beginning with the famous “Ostarrichi charter” and continuing to the signing of the Treaty on European Union. The chronological span therefore extends from an early historical reference to a political milestone in contemporary European history.

Ulmerfeld Castle has been structurally modernised and made accessible to people with disabilities. On Sonntagberg stands the present-day minor basilica with its distinctive two towers. Its construction is associated with the Baroque master builders Jakob Prandtauer and Josef Mungenast; at the same time, the basilica is regarded as one of Europe’s most important pilgrimage sites.

Pear culture can also be experienced through trails and notable individuals. The new Pear Trail in Öhling follows in the footsteps of Johann Kirchweger, a supporter of Mauer State Hospital and a pioneer of cider pear culture.

Choosing accommodation according to your travel interests

When searching for a hotel in Amstetten, you can align the focus of your stay with the destinations you want to visit. For cycling tours, train connections, bicycle transport and the route of the Ybbstal Cycling Path are important planning details. For visitors interested in culinary experiences, MOSTELLO, cider pears and barrel tastings are the main attractions. Nature and animals lead to the Forstheide or Stadt Haag Wildlife Park, while museums, Ulmerfeld Castle and Sonntagberg add historical and cultural highlights.

For regional orientation, you can also include Hollenstein An Der Ybbs, Ertl and Sankt Georgen Am Reith. Other destinations for comparison are Zwettl, Wien-Umgebung, Sankt Pölten, Waidhofen an der Ybbs Region and Melk.

For the overarching travel overview: Lower Austria.