St. Pölten has been the capital of the federal state of Lower
Austria since 1986, making it the youngest state capital in Austria.
The city has about 54,000 inhabitants. St. Pölten is a city with its
own statute, i.e. with its own city constitution based on a state
law.
The Roman settlement Aelium Cetium existed in the area
of the city center of St. Pölten from the 2nd to the 4th century.
Later the settlement was called Traisma. St. Pölten was granted town
charter in 1159. St. Pölten has the oldest preserved town charter in
Austria. St. Pölten is a modern industrial city with a baroque
center, but offers more than baroque buildings and modern
architecture. Local recreation, sport, enjoyment, art or culture -
everything is possible in St. Pölten. St. Pölten has a historically
grown, beautiful city center with an abundance of baroque, art
nouveau and modern buildings, a year-round, varied cultural and
event program with its own cultural district, a good mix of branches
for shopping experiences in Austria's second oldest pedestrian zone
and in the shopping centers, natural recreational areas in the
middle of the city plus top sports and leisure activities as well as
a wide range of restaurants and accommodation options
St. Pölten boasts a rich array of historic churches that reflect its
deep religious heritage spanning centuries. The Cathedral of the
Assumption, also known as Sankt Pölten Cathedral, stands as the city's
most prominent ecclesiastical landmark. Originally built between 1230
and 1270 as part of a medieval abbey, it was extensively renovated in
the Baroque style from 1722 to 1745, blending Gothic elements with
ornate 18th-century flourishes. Its origins trace back even further to
around 790, when a Benedictine monastery was founded on the site,
bringing relics of Saint Hippolytus and establishing it as one of
Austria's oldest religious centers. Inside, visitors can admire a
stunning high altar and archaeological remnants from Roman times beneath
the square. Rated highly for its architectural beauty, it's a must-visit
for history enthusiasts.
Another notable church is the
Josefskirche, or St. Josef Parish Church, constructed from 1924 to 1929
in a striking Romanesque Revival style. This basilica serves as an
active community hub, hosting events like advent concerts and cultural
performances, including recent appearances by Eurovision winners.
Rounding out the list is the Lourdes Church, officially the Parish
Church of Maria Lourdes, built between 1959 and 1961 after plans dating
back to the interwar period. It features a prominent 3.7-meter-tall
statue of the Virgin Mary and marks the starting point for pilgrimage
trails like the Pielachtal route to Mariazell.
For those interested in grand architecture, St. Pölten offers impressive castles, chateaux, and palaces. In the Pottenbrunn district, you'll find the Renaissance-era Pottenbrunn Castle, dating to the 16th century. This water castle, also called Schloss Trauttmansdorff, is set on an island surrounded by moats, combining a medieval fortress tower with elegant two-winged Renaissance additions. Privately owned today, it includes modern amenities like a pool, tennis courts, and sauna, making it a luxurious retreat near Vienna, though access may require permission.
To discover St. Pölten's sights at a leisurely pace, consider renting a bicycle. The city provides convenient bike-sharing options through the Nextbike system, with stations scattered across urban areas. Registration is free with a €1 deposit, and rentals are affordable based on duration. For longer rides, e-bikes are available at locations like Cityhotel D&C, starting from a full-day rate. This eco-friendly mode is ideal for navigating the city's trails and riverside paths.
St. Pölten's architectural landscape includes several standout
buildings that showcase its evolution. The Institute of the English
Misses, established in 1706, is renowned for its exquisite Baroque
facade—the finest in Lower Austria—and its role in advancing women's
education. Founded by English Catholic nun Mary Ward, it promoted
progressive ideas for female learning during a time of limited
opportunities. Nearby, the Town Hall, first documented in 1503,
originated as a wealthy merchant's house acquired for civic use. Its
current Baroque exterior was designed by Joseph Munggenast in 1727,
featuring a mix of styles from its layered history, and it anchors the
vibrant Rathausplatz square.
Southeast of the city center along
the Traisen River, the postmodern Government District and Cultural
District (Kulturbezirk) represent St. Pölten's modern transformation
since becoming Lower Austria's capital in 1986. Key highlights include
the Klangturm (Sound Tower) by Ernst Hoffmann, symbolizing openness with
its innovative design; the Festspielhaus festival hall for performances;
and the Landesmuseum state museum. This area blends contemporary
architecture with cultural events, hosting festivals like
StadtLandFluss. For more, visit www.kulturbezirk.at.
Among the city's monuments, the Trinity Column, erected between 1767 and 1782, is a striking Baroque feature on Rathausplatz. This ornate plague column, also known as the Dreifaltigkeitssäule, depicts the Holy Trinity atop a pedestal with saints like Hippolytus and Leopold, serving as a votive offering and a focal point for the square's historic ambiance.
St. Pölten is home to engaging museums that delve into regional
history and art. The Museum of Lower Austria, located at Kulturbezirk 5,
explores the state's natural and cultural heritage through interactive
exhibits. Contact: Tel: +43 (0)2742 908090 100, Fax: +43 (0)2742 908099,
Email: info@museumnoe.at. It's open Tuesday through Sunday and on public
holidays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Mondays. Admission costs €8 for
adults, €7 for concessions, €16 for families, €4 for youth aged 7-18,
with an extra €2.50 for guided tours or audio guides.
The St. Pölten
City Museum, at Prandtauerstraße 2, focuses on local history with
artifacts from Roman times to the present. Contact: Tel: +43 (0)2742
333-2643, Fax: +43 (0)2742 333-2609, Email:
office@stadtmuseum-stpoelten.at. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Entry is €1.60 for adults and €0.80 for children.
Relax in one of St. Pölten's inviting parks, perfect for picnics or strolls. The Sparkassenpark, established in 1884, serves as the city's central green oasis with shaded paths and recreational areas. The Hammerpark, spanning 4.7 hectares near the cultural district, delights families with playgrounds, petting zoos, and scenic spots for outings. The expansive Stadtwald, also called Kaiserwald, offers vast wooded trails for hiking and birdwatching. Finally, the romantic Südpark provides serene settings, even suitable for weddings, with its picturesque landscapes.
By plane
1 Vienna-Schwechat Airport Website of this facility
(IATA: VIE), Einfahrtsstraße, 1300 Vienna Airport. Tel .: +43 (0) 1
700 70. Vienna-Schwechat Airport in the media directory . Vienna International Airport is the nearest airport with
international connections. The airport, which is about 86 km away,
can be reached free of charge by long-distance trains (Railjet and
ICE) that run several times an hour (travel time approx. 45-60
minutes).
2 Linz Airport Website of this facility (IATA: LNZ),
Flughafenstrasse 1, A-4063 Hörsching. Tel .: +43 (0) 7221 60 00,
Fax: +43 (0) 7221 60 01 00, E-Mail:
info@linz-airport.com. Linz Airport, about 127 km away,
offers several international connections as well as charter flights.
It can be reached by train via Linz Central Station. last change:
By train
The 3 main station St. Pölten is the stop of most
international trains. Travel time from Vienna (main station) approx.
30 minutes; from Linz (main station) approx. 1 hour; there are free
connections several times a day, etc. from Munich, Innsbruck and
Budapest. Coming from Vienna there are the following options, which
are identical in price (see also Verkehrsverbund Ost Region (VOR)):
International long-distance trains (Railjet, ICE) from Central
Station or Meidling; Travel time from Vienna-Meidling without
stopping about 20-25 minutes
Regional express trains (REX200)
from the main train station or Meidling; Travel time via Tullnerfeld
approx. 30-40 minutes)
Regional trains from Westbahnhof; Travel
time via Hütteldorf and Rekawinkel approx. 60 minutes
Trains of
the private railway company Westbahn from Westbahnhof with stops in
Hütteldorf and Tullnerfeld, travel time approx. 30 minutes, VOR
network tickets are not valid!
S-Bahn line S60 from Vienna
Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof via Klosterneuburg and Tulln, travel time over
two hours.
In regional traffic there are good connections from
the Waldviertel with the S-Bahn S60 and changing in Tulln.
St. Pölten Hauptbahnhof is the start of the Mariazellerbahn, a
narrow-gauge railway to the famous pilgrimage site of Mariazell.
By bus
The Wieselbuses (https://www.noevog.at/wieselbus)
connect numerous larger towns in Lower Austria and Vienna directly
with St. Pölten. The timetables are usually optimized for servants
in the country house.
Regional buses travel to the city from
numerous surrounding villages, the most important bus hub is the
station forecourt.
Long-distance buses: The closest connections
to long-distance bus services are the Vienna International Bus
Terminal (VIB) in Vienna-Erdberg and the Vienna bus terminal in
Vienna-Leopoldstadt.
By road
By car, take the A1 (West
Autobahn) to the St. Pölten Süd junction. From the north you travel
via the Kremser Schnellstraße (S33), which passes the city to the
east and joins the A1. An expressway in the western part of the city
is being planned with the “Traisental Schnellstraße” (S34).
Other highways that lead via St. Pöten or end there are:
the
Wiener Straße B1,
Wiener Straße B1a, St. Pölten (S33) –St. Pölten
(B1),
Mariazeller Straße B20, from Kapfenberg to St. Pöltner
Europaplatz and
the Pielachtal Straße B39, from Winterbach (B28)
to St. Pölten.
The city center can easily be visited on foot. Otherwise there is
an urban bus service and regional bus service.
A free capital
express runs every hour from Rathausplatz along the objects of
interest to tourists. From Maundy Thursday to the end of December,
the train runs through St. Pölten every hour from Thursday to
Saturday (except on public holidays) from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
If you want to explore St. Pölten by bike, you will find rental
bikes at several stations in the city.
Prehistoric and Roman Origins
The history of St. Pölten, the
capital of Lower Austria, stretches back to prehistoric times, with
evidence of Stone Age settlements in the area. The city's foundations
lie on the site of the Roman settlement of Aelium Cetium, a municipium
that flourished between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD. This Roman city,
one of the lesser-known in Lower Austria, included an extensive palace
complex beneath what is now the cathedral square, highlighting its
administrative and economic importance along the Traisen River.
Archaeological findings suggest it was a key outpost in the province of
Noricum, with structures that influenced later developments.
Early Medieval Period (8th–12th Centuries)
The transition to the
medieval era began in the 8th century, when the town developed around a
Benedictine abbey dedicated to St. Hippolytus of Rome, from whom the
city derives its name (originally Fanum Sancti Hippolyti, later
Germanicized to Sankt Pölten). Sources indicate the monastery was
founded around 791 by monks from Tegernsee in Bavaria, during
Charlemagne's campaigns to unify Avar territories, with the area falling
under the missionary influence of the Diocese of Passau. By 799, the
site was referred to as Treisma, and in the 9th century, it served as
the easternmost limit of Christian civilization in the region, being the
only monastery east of the Enns River. In 985, the abbey was transferred
to secular canons, and by 1080–1081, Bishop Altmann of Passau replaced
them with Reformed Augustinian Canons, appointing Engelbert as the first
provost to strengthen its spiritual and material role as an eastern
stronghold. The city received its charter in 1159 from Bishop Konrad of
Passau, making it Austria's oldest documented city charter and
establishing it as a town by 1050, with full city status by 1169.
High and Late Medieval Period (13th–15th Centuries)
During the
High Middle Ages, St. Pölten hosted significant ecclesiastical events,
including a synod in 1284 convened by Bishop Gottfried of Passau, which
addressed clerical discipline—such as suspensions for priests
solemnizing family weddings, protocols for confessions (with grave sins
reported to higher authorities), and the allocation of annates for
church maintenance. Another synod followed a decade later. The city
faced peril in 1306 amid widespread anti-Jewish violence triggered by
accusations of sacrilege, including pierced Hosts, leading to robberies
and murders; however, Bishop Wernhart's appeal to King Albert I spared
St. Pölten from destruction. Until 1490–1494, the city remained under
the control of the bishops of Passau, after which it became property of
the state. Medieval structures, such as parts of the cathedral from the
12th and 13th centuries, underscore its religious prominence, later
concealed by Baroque additions.
Early Modern and Baroque Era
(16th–18th Centuries)
In the early modern period, St. Pölten evolved
as a market center. The Augustinian canons' collegiate chapter
(Kollegiatsstift) operated until its closure in 1784, after which the
building became the cathedral in 1785, marking the city's elevation to
an episcopal see. The Baroque era transformed the cityscape, earning it
the moniker "capital of the Baroque." Key landmarks, including the
cathedral and Renaissance town hall, were remodeled in the 18th century.
Local architect Jakob Prandtauer (1660–1726) designed the convent of the
Institut der Englischen Fräulein and the Prandtauer church, while the
episcopal palace (1636–1653) and Franciscan church (1757–1768) added to
the architectural splendor. Nearby Herzogenburg housed another abbey,
reinforcing the region's monastic heritage.
19th and Early 20th
Centuries
The 19th century saw industrial and infrastructural growth,
with St. Pölten becoming an important rail junction and market hub for
the surrounding countryside. Manufacturing expanded, setting the stage
for its role in the 20th century. By the early 1900s, it was a mid-sized
town with a mix of historical and emerging modern elements.
Nazi
Era, Anschluss, and World War II (1938–1945)
The Anschluss in March
1938 marked a dark chapter. On March 11, pro-Austria rallies gave way to
Nazi celebrations by evening, with the local Nazi branch seizing power:
Hans Doblhofer as Kreisleiter, Franz Pfister as deputy district leader,
and Franz Hörhann as mayor. The Wehrmacht entered on April 12, and
Hitler visited the train station on March 14 en route to Vienna. Under
Nazi administration, plans emerged for "Groß-St. Pölten" as a
"Gauwirtschaftsstadt," with expansions in industry, an air force base in
Markersdorf, and residential projects like the Volkswohnhausanlage
(1938–1940).
Persecution intensified: The Jewish community of about
1,200 (400 in town) faced arrests, professional bans, and humiliations.
During Kristallnacht, the synagogue and shops were destroyed, leading to
arrests and expropriations; by 1940, the city was declared "free of Jews
and gypsies," with at least 300 murdered in camps. Industries shifted to
armaments, relying on forced labor, including a camp in Viehofner Au
where at least 400 Hungarian Jews died.
Resistance existed,
particularly from Catholic groups, Jehovah's Witnesses, and a late-war
non-partisan network (~400 members) aiming for peaceful surrender, but
it was betrayed, resulting in executions in Hammerpark on April 13,
1945. Allied bombings from June 1944, peaking at Easter 1945, killed
591, destroyed 142 houses, and damaged 39% of buildings. The Red Army
captured the city on April 15, 1945, amid looting and violence, with
around 600 civilian deaths.
Post-War Period to Present Day
Post-1945, St. Pölten rebuilt under Soviet occupation until 1955. It
grew as an industrial and administrative center. In a pivotal move, the
Lower Austrian parliament voted on July 10, 1986, to replace Vienna as
the state capital, with government operations relocating in 1997. Today,
with a population of around 51,000 (2006 figures, though updated
estimates place it higher), it blends historic Baroque architecture with
modern government buildings, serving as a commuter hub and cultural
site. The contrast between old townscapes and contemporary structures
reflects its evolution from Roman outpost to vibrant state capital.
Location and Overview
St. Pölten, officially known as Sankt
Pölten, is the capital and largest city of Lower Austria in northeast
Austria. It serves as a significant urban center in the region, with a
population of approximately 59,767 as of 2025, spread across an area of
108.44 km², resulting in a population density of about 551 inhabitants
per km². The city is situated at coordinates 48°12′00″N 15°37′00″E, at
an average elevation of 267–275 meters above sea level. It lies on the
Traisen River, positioned north of the Alps, south of the Wachau valley,
and within the Mostviertel region, which forms the southwestern part of
Lower Austria. Geographically, it is nestled between the Bohemian Massif
to the north and the Türnitz Alps to the south, making it a transitional
zone between upland and lowland terrains. The city is about 60 km west
of Vienna and 120 km east of Linz, connected by major highways such as
the A1 Autobahn and S33 Schnellstraße.
Topography and Landscape
The topography of St. Pölten is characterized by flat to gently rolling
terrain, typical of the low-lying plains south of the Alps. This
landscape is influenced by the riverine environment of the Traisen
Valley, with subtle elevation changes that create a mix of urban,
suburban, and rural areas. The city's expanse includes over 30
subdistricts, such as Stattersdorf, Pottenbrunn, and Spratzern, which
extend into adjacent countryside featuring agricultural fields, small
woodlands, and scattered settlements. The overall setting is one of open
plains with occasional low hills, providing a contrast to the more
rugged Alpine regions to the south. Northward, the terrain transitions
toward the forested hills of the Bohemian Massif, while southward it
approaches the foothills of the Türnitz Alps, which rise to elevations
exceeding 1,000 meters. This positioning makes St. Pölten a gateway to
diverse landscapes, from valley floors to mountainous paths like the
scenic Mariazell route, which spans 85 km with notable altitude
variations and impressive vistas.
Hydrography
The Traisen
River is the dominant hydrological feature, flowing through the heart of
the city and shaping its geography. This tributary of the Danube
contributes to fertile alluvial soils along its banks, supporting local
agriculture and urban development. Several subdistricts, such as
Ratzersdorf an der Traisen, are directly adjacent to the river, which
has historically influenced settlement patterns. Additionally, the
Viehofen Lakes (formerly known as Paderta Seen) lie nearby, formed from
abandoned gravel pits. These artificial water bodies provide
recreational areas with surrounding infrastructure, adding to the city's
watery landscape. No other major rivers traverse the city, but smaller
streams and drainage systems feed into the Traisen, enhancing the
region's hydrological network.
Climate
St. Pölten experiences
a temperate climate with continental influences, marked by distinct
seasons. Winters are cool and often snowy, while summers are warm with
occasional heatwaves. Based on 1991–2020 data, average daily
temperatures range from 0.2°C in January to 20.9°C in July, with extreme
records of -23.1°C in March and 38.2°C in August. Annual precipitation
averages 752 mm, peaking in summer months like June (105.7 mm), and
snowfall totals around 64 cm per year, primarily from December to
February. Sunshine hours average 1,897 annually, with a 41% possible
sunshine rate, and relative humidity hovers around 64% in the afternoon.
Geological Features
Geologically, St. Pölten lies in an area
shaped by alluvial and sedimentary processes, primarily due to the
Traisen River's depositional activity. The underlying terrain consists
of Quaternary sediments, including gravels, sands, and loess soils,
which are common in the Danube Basin extensions. Proximity to the Alps
suggests influences from tectonic uplift, though the city itself is in a
stable, low-relief zone without prominent rock formations or fault
lines. The Bohemian Massif to the north features older crystalline
rocks, while the southern Alps introduce calcareous elements, creating a
diverse geological transition.
Surrounding Areas
The immediate
surroundings of St. Pölten blend urban expansion with rural charm. To
the north, the landscape opens into the rolling hills of the
Mostviertel, known for orchards and vineyards. Southward, it approaches
the Alpine foothills, offering access to hiking and scenic routes like
the Mariazell Bahn railway. The Wachau valley to the north is renowned
for its terraced vineyards and Danube scenery, while the broader Lower
Austria region includes forested areas and agricultural plains. This
geographical context positions St. Pölten as a hub for regional
exploration, with natural features like the Viehofen Lakes providing
local biodiversity hotspots. Overall, the city's geography supports a
mix of cultural, economic, and recreational activities, reflecting its
role as Lower Austria's vibrant capital.