Anyone wishing to combine art history and the Roman past with time by the Danube in Pöchlarn can choose from museums, historic buildings, a guided town tour and places to take a break by the water. The Kokoschka Museum focuses on art; the Roman Town Museum centres on finds and the ancient settlement of Arelape. Seasonal museum opening hours are also important when planning your visit.
Museums: Kokoschka and Roman Arelape
The Kokoschka Museum Pöchlarn is housed in the artist Oskar Kokoschka’s birthplace. The permanent exhibition is dedicated to his life and work, alongside special exhibitions that change each year. From 28 March to 26 October 2026, the museum is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A guided tour takes place every Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Check the seasonal opening hours again before your visit.
The Roman Town Museum Arelape Bechelaren Pöchlarn is located in the Welser Tower. Spread over several levels, it displays archaeological finds and Roman excavations, recounts the town’s development and brings to life the Roman past of ancient Arelape. Everyday objects from times gone by are also on display. Advance booking is required for groups and visits outside opening hours; take seasonal opening hours into account when planning your visit.
Churches, Towers and Nibelung History
The Frauenkirche, dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, is a three-aisled hall church whose construction began in 1386. The parish church of the Assumption of Mary has a late Gothic core and was given a Baroque makeover by Johann Michael Ehmann in 1766–68. The interior of the Frauenkirche includes three paintings by the Kremser Schmidt. Pöchlarn Renaissance Castle is a cultural monument right on the Danube.
The Urfahrt Tower, also known as the Demmer Tower, is a former fortification tower on Pöchlarn’s eastern town boundary. Another way to explore the Nibelung story is The Nibelungs in the Tower: restored Nibelung figures guide visitors through the history of the medieval heroic epic at several stops. The Nibelung Monument is freely accessible.
Town Tour and Time by the Water
Town tours in Pöchlarn can be tailored to travel groups, company outings, school trips and extended families. A guided tour follows the Danube embankment, winds through the lanes and visits picturesque squares. For those who want to explore Pöchlarn with a guide, it offers an alternative to visiting a single museum or historic building.
For a break by the river, the Donau.Auszeit.Wiese offers space for picnics and breaks for walkers and cyclists, with views across the Danube. The Zehenbad offers a different kind of waterside experience: you can linger here, listen to the water trickling and cool your toes. This gives you the choice of places for a longer break or a brief moment by the water, without having to follow a set itinerary.
The routes also offer different points of interest. The Rüdigerweg follows the Stadt Weyer pond, continues along the Erlauf to its mouth at the Danube, then follows the Danube back to the starting point. The Kultur-Schatz-Tour, by contrast, connects the Danube Cycle Path, the Erlauftal Cycle Path and the Melktal Cycle Path. This means that the Rüdigerweg’s sequence of waterways differs from the Kultur-Schatz-Tour’s connection of three cycle paths.
Discover more destinations: Loosdorf, Kemmelbach, Laimbach Am Ostrong, Bergland, Nächst Altenmarkt, Hessendorf, Schönbühel An Der Donau, Kilb.
Back to the main travel overview: Melk.
