Haslach an der Mühl: Textile Crafts and Local History

Haslach an der Mühl combines traditional textile crafts, historic buildings and nature experiences along the Steinerne Mühl. Its attractions range from weaving and wool processing to architectural history and a nature trail with sensory and play stations.

Textile Crafts: From Exhibitions to the Market

The Weaving Museum was founded in 1971 and moved to the Textile Centre Haslach in 2012. It shows the stages of processing, from preparing flax to the finished linen fabric, and the development of looms from handlooms to the Jacquard machine. This offers insight into the materials and individual stages of the work, as well as the technological changes in weaving.

At the Haslach manufactory, visitors can learn on guided tours how wool is transformed into a finished quality product. The regular tour time may change, so please check the current schedule before your visit.

The Weavers’ Market offers handmade products alongside its insights into textile crafts. It has been held annually since 1992, over two days, in the winding lanes of the old district “auf der Stelzen” and in the market square. Around 90 exhibitors from several nations present the variety of their textile work and offer their products for sale. The number of exhibitors may vary with each edition. Market dates also change from year to year, so plan your trip around the dates of the relevant edition.

Museums and Musical Exhibits

The Mechanical Sound Factory showcases 150 musical instruments and other musical exhibits, from the Baroque period to the present day. During guided tours, the instruments are played and their inner workings demonstrated. Sound and a look at their construction are therefore equally central to what visitors learn.

The Merchant’s Museum recreates the shopping atmosphere of a fully stocked general store around 1920. It is closed for renovation in 2026; reopening is scheduled for May 2027.

Architectural History and Flax Oil Traditions

The parish church of St Nicholas is considered the grandest Late Gothic church in the Upper Mühlviertel. Its freestanding tower was built as a defensive tower for the market fortifications. The Old Tower was also part of Haslach’s historic fortifications, built between 1483 and 1487.

The Mühlviertel Oil Mill, locally known as Stahlmühle, is in Haslach, where the Steinerne Mühl flows into the Große Mühl. Flax oil has been pressed there for more than 500 years. The mill’s location at the river confluence and the long history of pressing flax give this craft a distinctive connection to the landscape.

Nature Trail and Views

Welset Pühret, beside the Steinerne Mühl, is open to the public. It has a small bathing area and a four-kilometre nature trail. The trail’s stations engage the senses of sight, touch, feeling and smell, and also include play and agility stations. There is a playground at the end of the trail. In summer, the Steinerne Mühl offers a refreshing place to cool off.

The two routes have different focuses: sensory and agility stations are at the heart of the nature trail, while the Haslach circular route offers several viewpoints.

Discover more destinations: Neufelden, Julbach, Neustift im Mühlkreis, Sankt Stefan am Walde, Godersdorf, Schwarzenberg am Böhmerwald, Ahorn im Mühlkreis, Kollerschlag

Go to the main travel overview: Rohrbach.