St. Pölten
St. Pölten is a city with about 50,000 inhabitants in Lower Austria. Geographically it is located between the Bohemian Massif and the Türnitz Alps.
Many people consider St. Pölten to be a city of low touristic interest. Anyway its high living standard and the convenient location make it a place worthwhile to hang out some time and relax, e. g. at the lakes or to undertake some day trips.
Understand
- 1 Tourismusinformation St.Pölten, Rathausplatz 1, ☏ +43 2742 353354, fax: +43 2742 333-2819, tourismus@st-poelten.gv.at. Apr-Oct M-F 08:00-17:00, Sa 09:00-17:00, Su and holidays 10:00-17:00; Nov-Mar 08:00-17:00. Offers free maps, as well as information for sightseeing and accommodation.
Get in
Map of St. Pölten
By train
St. Pölten is the terminus for the VOR (Verkehrsverbund Ost-Region) suburban train service from Vienna's Westbahnhof to St. Pölten. It leaves Westbahnhof hourly and takes 30 minutes to reach St. Pölten. Tickets cost €12, or Vienna's VOR travelcards can also be used.
- 1 St. Pölten Hauptbahnhof (Main Train Station), Bahnhofplatz 1, ☏ +43 2742 930000, stpoelten.reisebuero@pv.oebb.at. Ticket counter: M 05:15-21:05, T-F 05:45-21:05, Sa Su and holidays 06:30-21:05; ticket automats 24hr. Storage lockers available.
By car
St. Pölten is connected to the A1 "Autobahn" and the S33 "Schnellstraße". The distance between St. Pölten and Vienna is approximately 60km, between Linz and St. Pölten ca. 120km.
Get around
Bus and bicycle
- LUP City Bus (LUP StadtBus), ☏ +43 2742 252360-2, lup@st-poelten.gv.at. Tickets are available in Trafik shops, City Hall (by the tourist information office), and in the bus information center at the train station. A schedule and route map are available for download. Single trip: €2 (adults), €1.10 (concessions); day ticket: €4.50; week ticket: €11.50; month ticket: €36; block of 5 tickets: €7.50.
- Nextbike (bicycle rental), ☏ +43 2742 22 99 01 (hotline). After registration (online or by mobile), pick up a bicycle at any Nextbike location, and drop it off at the same or any other Nextbike spot. A map of pickup and drop-off points can be found here; a brochure with map is available for download. €1/hr, €10/day; free for the first ½ hr.
Taxi
- Taxi Oberhauser, ☏ +43 2742-26726.
- Taxi Hartmann, ☏ +43 2742-72000.
See
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- 1 Museum Niederösterreich (Lower Austria Museum), Kulturbezirk 5, ☏ +43-2742 90 80 90, fax: +43-2742 90 80 99, info@museumnoe.at. T-Su 09:00-17:00. Has permanent exhibits detailing regional history, as well as an art exhibit including works by F.G. Waldmüller, and Egon Schiele, as well as pieces from the Gothic to Baroque periods. €8 (adults), €7 (concessions), €4 (children and youth 7-18).
- 2 Klangturm (Tower of Sounds), Landhausplatz 1, ☏ +43-2742 90 80 50, fax: +43-2742 90 80 51. Viewing platform: M-F 08:00-18:00, Su and holidays 09:00-17:00; closed during bad weather. Designed by the architect DI Ernst Hoffmann and built in 1996, this is a nice place to get a view of the city from above. Sometimes there are exhibitions in the so called "Klangkugeln" (sound spheres) which are worth a visit. Free.
- 3 Stadtmuseum St. Pölten, Prandtauerstraße 2, ☏ +43 2742-333-2643, office@stadtmuseum-stpoelten.at. W-Su 10:00-17:00. Has special exhibits devoted to the history of the city. €5 (adults), €3 (seniors/disabled), €2 (students/children/military), free (children under 6).
- 4 Old Synagogue (Ehemalige Synagoge), Doktor-Karl-Renner-Promenade 22, ☏ +43 2742-77171-0 (call beforehand), office@injoest.ac.at. M-F 09:00-13:00. The Jugendstil synagogue was designed by the architects Theodor Schreier and Viktor Postelberg, and built in 1913. The building was severely damaged during the Kristallnacht in 1938; after 1945 administration of the building was given to the Jewish community of Vienna, as the Jewish community of St. Pölten no longer existed. In 1980 a comprehensive restoration project was commenced; the only portions of the building which could not be reconstructed were the Hebrew verses in the medallions and the Jugendstil glass windows. Today the building is a memorial, and used by the surviving Jewish community for special events. Free.
- 5 Diocese Museum (Diözesanmuseum), Domplatz 1, ☏ +43 2742 324 331, dm.bo.stpoelten@kirche.at. May-Oct T-F 09:00-12:00, 14:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-13:00. Displays religious art and artifacts, from the Middle Ages until the current era. €4 (adults), €3 (concessions).
- 6 Ausstellungsbrücke, Landhausplatz 1 (Landhaus St. Pölten, Bldgs 1 and 1A, 3rd floor), ☏ +43 2742-9005-15916, fax: +43 2742 9005-13029, ausstellungsbruecke@noel.gv.at. M-F 08:00-18:00; weekend entry only through Bldg 1 (ring the bell). Located within the state parliament building (Landhaus), this gallery houses rotating exhibits of contemporary art by Lower Austrians.
Do
- 1 Festspielhaus St. Pölten, Kulturbezirk 2, ☏ +43 2742-90 80 80-222, office@festspielhaus.at. Box office opens 1 1/2 hrs before start of performance. A concert hall and staged, designed by the Austrian architect Klaus Kada and opened in 1997.
- 2 Ticket office, Rathausplatz 19, ☏ +43 2742-90 80 80-600, fax: +43 2742-90 80 83, karten@festspielhaus.at. Sep-Jun M-F 09:00-18:00, Sa 09:00-17:00; Jul-Aug M-Sa 09:00-14:00.
- 2 Viehofen Lakes (Viehofner Seen; formerly called Paderta Seen). These lakes are the remainders of an abandoned gravel mine. As there exists suitable infrastructure (public transport, pubs) it is a nice place to hang out. Boats are available to rent.
- 3 Aquacity, Schießstattring 15, ☏ +43 2742 3526610. Pool and separate sauna: T-F 10:00-21:00, Sa Su and holidays 09:00-20:00; co-ed sauna: T-F 13:00-21:00, S Su and holidays 09:00-21:00. An indoor pool and sauna.
Buy
- 1 Wochenmarkt at Domplatz (Wochenmarkt am Domplatz), Domplatz. Year-round on Th and Sa 07:00-12:30. This is the place where to buy local food directly from the producers. It is also possible to buy flowers and specialties, such as local sweets. Visiting the market is a nice activity perfectly combined with spending some time in the nearby street gardens.
Eat
- 1 Café Schubert, Herrenplatz 1, ☏ +43 650 80 89 480, fax: +43 2742 34 324, info@cafeschubert.at. M-Sa 08:00-24:00, Su and holidays 09:30-24:00.
Drink
Sleep
- 1 St. Pölten Youth Hostel (Jugendherberge St. Pölten), Bahnhofplatz 1a/4 (across from the train station), ☏ +43 2742-32196, fax: +43 2742 32801, office.3100@hostel.or.at. €19+ including breakfast.
- 2 Stadthotel Hauser Eck, Schulgasse 2, ☏ +43 2742 73336, fax: +43 2742 7333 666, office@hausereck.at. Check-in: 15:00-21:00, check-out: 08:00-10:30. Free Wi-Fi, pets permitted by request, public parking €9/day. €90+.
Connect
Go next
Go to Mariazell using the Mariazeller Bahn. The trip of 85km takes about 2.5hrs. This route is not only one of the first in Austria to become fully electrified (in 1911), some of the train engines from that time are still in operation (this is a world record). Beside of the impressive scenery, the tracks' arrangement is pretty ingenious because of the vast differences in altitude that have to be overcome.
When buying a ticket check if the train engines are of type "1099", which are the world record ones, so that you know the true promise of the Mariazeller Bahn.
| Routes through St. Pölten |
| Salzburg ← Melk ← | W   E |
→ Vienna → Ends at  |