Mank offers several different discoveries: the SoleAerium focuses on a clearly describable process, the local history museum is housed in an Art Nouveau building, and the parish church of the Assumption of Mary brings together several historical periods. Another perspective is offered by the Mank Pilgrims’ Way, which leads from the centre of St. Pölten to Mank, mainly along field paths. This variety can help you plan your trip by first deciding between culture in town, the SoleAerium and a route with views of the landscape.
SoleAerium near the centre
The SoleAerium is close to the town centre and set in a spacious park. Its distinctive feature is the process: salt water drips over bundles of fir branches, releasing essential oils (aerosols) into the air. Both its setting within the town and the facility’s process are central to the experience. If you choose Mank for a particular kind of discovery, the SoleAerium is a fitting focus for your interest in its design and process.
Pecherhaus: Local history museum and cinema museum
The local history museum is housed in the Pecherhaus in Mank, a building constructed in the Art Nouveau style in 1913/14. The ground floor of the museum contains a small cinema museum. The collection currently comprises around 1,700 exhibits. The architecture, cinema museum and collection thus offer three different perspectives on the building: its period of construction, a dedicated thematic area and the scope of its exhibits. If you are particularly interested in cultural heritage during your stay, the Pecherhaus brings together the building’s architectural history and the local history museum under one roof.
Several historical periods in the parish church
The parish church of the Assumption of Mary can also be viewed through more than one historical period. It is a Late Gothic hall church with stepped side aisles, dating from the early 16th century and Baroque in appearance on the exterior. Its furnishings date from around 1730; the church also has a Way of the Cross dating from the 17th century. These dates refer to different elements, not to a single date of origin. This distinction is useful when choosing what to explore: the architectural form, exterior design, furnishings and Way of the Cross each offer a different way into the church’s history. If you are interested in architecture and historical change, you can therefore consider the church alongside the Pecherhaus as a distinct cultural attraction in Mank.
The Mank Pilgrims’ Way
The Mank Pilgrims’ Way offers another way to include Mank in your travel plans. It leads from the centre of St. Pölten to Mank, mainly along field paths. Along many stretches of the route, you can see the Ötscher and the impressive mountain panorama of the Alpine foothills. Unlike the Pecherhaus or the parish church, the focus here is not on a single building, but on a route with an emphasis on the landscape. When planning your trip, you can decide whether to focus on cultural attractions in town or also include the route from St. Pölten to Mank.
Discover more destinations: Yspertal, Schönbühel An Der Donau, Marbach An Der Donau, Ybbs An Der Donau, Nächst Altenmarkt, Laimbach Am Ostrong, Dunkelsteinerwald, Leiben.
Return to the main travel overview: Melk.
