At 77 metres tall, the Klangturm is an architectural landmark in Sankt Pölten’s government district. Nearby, museums, the cathedral and the Roman Palace offer different ways to explore the city’s history, while the BAKABU children’s discovery trail features interactive stations. When planning your visit, it’s worth considering these attractions according to their individual focus rather than treating them as interchangeable sights.
Museums and city history
The Former Synagogue was built in 1913 by Theodor Schreier and Viktor Postelberg and was severely damaged during the November pogroms of 1938. Its permanent exhibition covers the building’s construction, destruction and two renovations. It focuses on various chapters in the building’s history, including the turning point of 1938.
The City Museum is a modern museum in the centre of the old town and has a history spanning around 100 years. Its permanent exhibition uses multimedia, interactive and atmospheric displays to guide visitors from prehistory to the present day. This broad historical sweep differs from the building-focused exhibition at the Former Synagogue: the two institutions offer different ways to explore the history of Sankt Pölten.
St. Pölten Cathedral also combines historical and contemporary functions: it was formerly the church of the Augustinian Canons’ monastery and is now the cathedral church of the Diocese of St. Pölten. The Museum at the Cathedral is on the first floor of the former, dissolved monastery; the former monastery library is also part of it. Design sketches for the Baroque remodelling of the present-day cathedral church in the 18th century can be viewed in the episcopal oratory as part of guided tours. Check the dates and conditions for these tours in advance.
Beneath Cathedral Square lies the Roman Palace, a spacious, multi-part building dating from the early 4th century AD. The complex included a bathhouse as well as an administrative wing and a residential wing. These different parts of the building give a concrete impression of the layout of the Roman complex; they offer a different way to explore the past than exhibitions that tell history through a museum or a single building.
Views, an interactive trail and lakes
At the Klangturm, 280 steps or a panoramic lift lead to the viewing platform at a height of 47 metres. From there, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city, the government district, the cultural district and the surrounding area. The two access options and the platform’s height are useful details to help plan your visit. Check the latest operating information before you travel.
The BAKABU children’s discovery trail runs for around 1.6 kilometres from Rathausplatz to the KinderKunstLabor. Eight interactive stations can be explored using QR codes. The trail is considered easy to complete and is suitable for pushchairs. Unlike the viewpoint, the focus here is not on the view from above, but on a clearly defined route with several stations.
The Viehofner Lakes are an important bird-breeding area in central Lower Austria and lie directly on the Traisental cycle route. For planning your visit, the restriction at the smaller lake is particularly important: swimming and boating are prohibited there for nature conservation reasons. As usage rules may change, check them before your visit. This helps keep the lakes’ importance as a habitat in mind when choosing possible activities.
Plan your stay
Sankt Pölten’s attractions have distinct themes: museum visits offer a different focus from a viewpoint, an interactive trail or the lakes with their nature conservation rules. If you’re looking for a hotel in Sankt Pölten, first decide which of these sides of the city you’d like to shape your stay.
Discover more destinations: Traismauer, Neustift-Innermanzing, Inzersdorf Ob Der Traisen, Ambach, Statzendorf, Wimpassing an der Pielach, Oed, Hofstetten.
See the broader travel overview: Sankt Pölten.
