The northeast section of Niederösterreich known as the Weinviertel, an area of gently rolling hills covered with vineyards and grain fields, has many unique sights in store for visitors. Towering over the southern edge of Korneuburg, Burg Kreuzenstein is the epitome of a romantic knight's castle, full of thousands of tools, utensils and implements, weapons and art treasures.
Further to the west, in Kleinwetzdorf on the Schmida River, is the Heldenberg, a curious memorial grove with 150 busts and statues commemorating the military heroes of the Habsburg Monarchy. Art buffs will want to take in the Romanesque reliefs on the parish church in Schöngrabern near Hollabrunn as well as a remarkable relic of the Hallstatt Culture 2500 years ago, the 16 m high tumulus (burial mound) in Grossmugl.
Leiser Berge Nature Park lies in the heart of the Weinviertel, in a charming, scenic area perfect for hiking. The nearby town of Asparn on the Zaya River has a Prehistory Museum which is well worth a visit. Wilfersdorf castle is to the east of Mistelbach and houses a local museum and a heuriger complete with wine shop.
The largest open-air museum in the land is somewhat to the east, in Niedersulz. Here you will find 60 historical buildings which have been authentically reconstructed with original furnishings to give visitors an accurate insight into village life 200 years ago.
If you travel to the far north, near the border with the Czech Republic, you will find several towns with historically significant architecture which bear witness to the great strategic and economic importance this area once had. For example, Laa an der Thaya, famous for its tradition of beer brewing, with a museum in the local castle on that subject, and for its new hot spring resort, a perfect spot for relaxation. Then there is Pulkau and in particular, Retz, a center of winemaking and the wine trade, its main attraction being a labyrinthine maze of wine cellars, four stories deep and over 20 km long which can be explored on tours.
Apropos wine, a common sight all over the region is the “Kellergasse”. These rural roads are lined with long rows of white-washed wine cellars, half-buried in the earth, with owners often more than happy to have passers-by stop for a sociable glass or two.
