Experience Culinary Lower Austria
Enjoy hospitality!
Anyone who sails upstream on the Danube or rides along it by bike will be amazed by the Wachau: white beaches, orchards, vineyards, picturesque villages and forests with castles and monasteries as far as the eye can see. And that is by far not all. The Waldviertel region smells of herbs, spices and oils, and red poppy fields stand out between the dark green of its forests and the carp ponds.
The Weinviertel and Mostviertel regions are named after the products they’re known for. The cider (Most), however, is made from pears instead of apples. Farmers take particular pride in their carnelian cherries, which they affectionately call "Dirndln". In the Wachau, the taste of apricots is appreciated and processed in manufactories, restaurants and inns.
In this fertile landscape, life is to be savoured. Relax, stop by an inn or winery, and immerse yourself in the local culture, whether it's feasting in the vineyards or celebrating at a cellar lane festival.
Lower Austria is divided into six distinct regions, each with its own unique character: Waldviertel, Weinviertel, Danube Lower Austria with the Wachau, Mostviertel, Wienerwald, and Wiener Alps.
Foodie favourites in Lower Austria
In Lower Austria, all roads inevitably lead to a traditional inn. Whether you're travelling along the Danube, strolling through vineyards, or exploring rural villages, you'll soon come across the distinctive green, oval signs marked "Wirtshauskultur" (inn culture). This is your signal to step inside. A true inn is defined by three key elements: a welcoming host, a regulars' table, and the inviting aroma of well-prepared food.
Relax along the Danube in Lower Austria: explore stylish country inns by boat or by bike. 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.
At the Kirchenwirt inn, Manuela and Christian Wildeis serve up authentic Wachau cuisine: Kirchenwirt Weißenkirchen
On the right bank of the Danube, Philipp Essl cooks in a traditional yet modern way: Landgasthaus Essl, Rührsdorf
The inn run by the Engel family is a favourite with cyclists: Landgasthof „Zur schönen Wienerin“, Marbach an der Donau
The flowering Waldviertel poppy (Mohn) 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 used to coat fluffy pasta. The people of the Waldviertel are particularly proud of their 'poppy seed tents'. They have created this sweet delicacy from regional products such as potatoes and poppy seeds.
Enjoy appetizers, mains and desserts with poppy seeds: Mohnwirt Neuwiesinger, Sallingberg
The restaurant Hirsch 28 swears by a combination of poppy seeds and plums: HIRSCH28 WIRTShaus & delikatESSEN, Groß Gerungs
Legendary poppy seed cake and excellent beer culture: Gasthof „Zum Goldenen Löwen“, Maria Taferl
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 around 14,000 winegrowers. In the Weinviertel cellar alleys, the wine matures deep underground to then be tasted at the Heurigen, at the Tafeln im Weinviertel and, of course, in the "Wirtshaus" (inn). 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 local inns.
Harald and Sonja Pollak serve award winning Weinviertel cuisine: Pollak's Wirtshaus – Der Retzbacherhof, Unterretzbach
Game specialties from their own hunt and wine from the historic wine cellar: Inn Zum Grünen Baum, Zistersdorf
A popular inn amid the rolling hills of the Weinviertel: Gasthaus Weiler, Laa an der Thaya
In the Mostviertel, thousands of pear trees blossom in old orchards around traditional, square-shaped farmhouses. Along the Most Road, inns, cider taverns and the Mostbirnhaus invite guests to savour hearty dishes alongside the fermented pear juice called Birnenmost. The abundant red cornelian cherries - affectionately called "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.
The Mostviertel is a region that’s both fruitful and wild.
Landlord Hermann Froschauer serves refined dishes made from seasonal products: Gasthof „Zur Donaubrücke“, Ardagger
Martin Teufl's restaurant offers roast wild boar as well as vegetarian fare: Gasthof Teufl, Purgstall an der Erlauf
Home-style cooking with produce straight from landlady Petra Haselsteiner's garden: Gasthaus zur Post, Texingtal
The Vienna Woods and the Vienna Alps once inspired famous artists to take long walks and hikes in nature just outside the gates of the capital city of Vienna. Today, people's enjoyment of exercise in the forest and in the mountains - on well-marked hiking and biking trails - is undiminished. 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.
Hike, sample and savour during your stroll through the Vienna Woods thermal region: Genussmeile in the Thermenregion Wienerwald
Home-style food served alongside wines from the Thallern winery: Klostergasthof Stift Heiligenkreuz
A rustic inn from the 17th century with a creative menu: Wirtshaus Grüner Baum, Kirchberg am Wechsel