All roads in Lower Austria lead to the inn. Whether along the Danube, in the vineyards or in the villages: At some point, green oval signs appear on the houses with the inscription "Wirtshauskultur" (inn culture) Now it's time to take a break and experience this unique culture.
The province of Lower Austria divides into six regions, each with its own unique character: Waldviertel, Weinviertel, Danube Lower Austria, Mostviertel, Vienna Woods and Vienna Alps. Not only the landscape, but also the food and drinks in the inns indicate that a regional product - such as the gray poppy in the Waldviertel, wine in the Weinviertel, the apricot in the Wachau or must in the Mostviertel - sets the tone in each case. Three characteristics distinguish a genuine inn: a landlady or landlord, a regulars' table and the smell of good food.
The flowering Waldviertel poppy attracts visitors in July with its play of colours in red, white, pink and purple. Its sweet-tart tasting seeds are ground or pressed into oil. Cooks love it for its mild and nutty flavour. Poppy seeds are prepared in many ways: they are stuffed into dumplings, strudels and pastries or pasta gets rolled in it. The people of the Waldviertel are particularly proud of their 'poppy seed tents'. They invented this sweet delicacy from regional products, namely potatoes and poppy seeds.
In the Weinviertel, you always follow the vines: on foot, by bike or by tractor through the vineyards. It is remarkable that one third of Austria's wine is produced in this region by 14,000 winegrowers. In the Weinviertel cellar alleys, the wine matures deep underground and waits to be tasted at the Heurigen, at the Tafeln im Weinviertel and, of course, in the Wirtshaus. But it's not just vines that thrive in the vast hilly country north of Vienna between the rivers Danube, March and Thaya - asparagus and pumpkin also find their way onto the menus of the inns.
Relax along the Danube in Lower Austria: by boat or by bike to stylish country inns. It's a gourmet journey to the vineyards along the Danube, to fine wines and fluffy apricot dumplings. A journey from the Nibelungengau, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Wachau, between the rolling hills of the Wagram through the Tullner Feld to the wild nature of the Donau-Auen National Park.
In the Mostviertel, thousands of pear trees blossom on old meadow orchards around square farms. Along the Moststraße, inns, cider taverns and the Mostbirnhaus invite guests to taste down-to-earth dishes in addition to the perry (fermented pear juice). The abundant red cornel cherries - the people of Mostviertel call them "Dirndln" - are refined into brandies, juices, jams and chutneys. In the south, the landscape is characterised by the gorges of the Ötschergräben with their bizarre rock formations and bubbling waters as well as the mountains around Ötscher, Hochkar and Dürrenstein.
A fruity and at the same time wild region, that is the Mostviertel.
The Vienna Woods and the Vienna Alps once inspired artists to take long walks and hikes in nature just outside the gates of the big city of Vienna. Even today, people's enjoyment of exercise in the forest and in the mountains - on well-marked hiking and biking trails - is clearly noticeable. Hiking and biking is all the more relaxing when there are inns along the way that provide food and drink: a meeting place for enjoyable breaks in an informal atmosphere.
Lower Austria charms with vineyards nestled along the Danube valley, paired with great music festivals in castles perched it the countryside - it's a perfect getaway for music lovers and oenophiles.
Winding its way through Austria along 350 kilometres (217 miles), the Danube has created one of Europe’s most beautiful cultural landscapes. Between Passau and Bratislava, the river flows through Upper- and Lower Austria as well as Vienna.
