Walks with a view
Free as a bird: That is how you will feel at each and every one of the vantage points that Lower Austria has to offer for hikers seeking a panoramic view.
Feel more grounded than ever before... above the clouds. The view of the vast countryside, the ascent, and that lovely feeling of comfort and belonging will let you find yourself. It is not about what you are looking at – but rather, what you can see. That is why we have compiled a list of all the special vantage points, from the viewpoint in Traisental, to the panoramic view from the Jauerling.
From the Vienna Woods to the extreme
The Peilstein is certainly one of the most beautiful rocky elevations in the southern Vienna Woods. A cross on the edge of a steep rock face is just a few minutes away from the Peilsteinhaus, which is on the highest peak (716 m). A climbing route, with breathtaking rock formations and a distant view of the Gutenstein Alps, leads along the rock face, heading south.
Postcard views and photo panoramas
The Viennese Alpenbogen is not described as a “paradise of views” for nothing. Several vantage points invite you to stop and stare. Our tip: Take a look through the Vienna Alps Viewer, a mirrored device which shows the area in a completely different light. The famous 20-Schilling Blick vantage point, so-called because the view from it of Semmering and the railway used to be depicted the 20 schilling note, is nostalgically beautiful.
Reach the summit in the Leiser Berge nature park
On the “Steppenrasen mit Aussicht” (Grasslands with a View) hiking trail, you can stop at the Oberleiser lookout point to enjoy a wonderful panoramic view of the diverse Weinviertel landscape, the fields, forests and dry meadows of which have been cultivated since the Neolithic Age. The fields form geometric shapes on the rolling hills. If the visibility is good, you can see the Alps (including the Schneeberg and the Ötscher) to the west, and the Czech region of Moravia to the north.
The Nebelstein welcomes you to the Upper Waldviertel
Original, rocky and rich: That is how experts describe the wonderful natural landscape of the Waldviertel. At the junction between several hiking trails passing through Moorbad Harbach is the Nebelstein (1,017 m high) – an impressive rock formation which is typical of the Waldviertel. Our tip: Stop at the Nebelsteinhütte for a wonderful panoramic view. If you are lucky, you may be able to use a telescope to have a good look at one or two Alpine peaks!
A corkscrew which opens a fine vintage, best served with enchanting views
A 15-metre-high observation tower, the shape of which resembles a corkscrew, stands proudly in the wine-growing region of Traisental. It symbolises wine, cosiness and pleasure. At 330 metres above sea level, the view extends from the Danube wetlands and across the Weinviertel, and from Tullnerfeld to Kamptal. Our tip: Visit the Ahrenberger Kellergasse and stop at the Heurigen (tavern).
On the World Heritage Trail
The area’s highest vineyards (Ried Trenning) and the Jauerling – the highest mountain on the Danube – can be visited in Stage Five of the World Heritage Trail. Situated at 915 m above sea level, on the Wachau Terrace of the Jauerling, the Naturparkhaus (Nature Park House) offers the most beautiful panoramic view over the Danube and the famous Spitzer Graben valley.