In Scheibbs, the castle, defensive tower, city gate and hall church tell different chapters of the town’s history. The surrounding landscape has a remarkable story of its own: in Neustift, calcareous tufa and fossilised traces bear witness to a long geological history. As you explore the town, you can focus on architecture, a guided tour or trails through the surrounding area.

Explore the town’s history independently or with a guide

You can follow the “Scheibbs Old Town Trail” on your own. A brochure with an overview map and information boards along the route explains Scheibbs’ history. For a guided exploration, there is also “Scheibbs Through the Ages”: the town tour starts at the railway station and lasts just over an hour. Check in advance when the tour is available. This lets you plan an independent walk and a guided introduction to the town’s history as two different options.

One of the town’s defining historic buildings is Scheibbs Castle. In the early 17th century, Gaming Charterhouse transformed the castle into a spacious complex with four wings. Concerts are held in the arcaded courtyard from time to time; the programme varies. The Powder Tower, Scheibbs’ oldest surviving defensive tower, is used for exhibitions. The Fleckner Gate is another remnant of the town’s fortifications: it is the only surviving gate tower in the town wall.

The parish church also reflects several phases of construction. It is a late Gothic, three-aisled hall church dating from the early 16th century. A devastating fire almost completely destroyed it in 1645; it was subsequently given a Baroque makeover and expanded with four side chapels. The Töpper Mausoleum offers another link to local building history: it was built from house bricks made of Neustift tufa.

Neubruck and the traces of the Töpper works

Industrial history takes centre stage in Neubruck. Neubruck Castle, also known as Töpper Castle Neubruck, was built around 1820 as a manor house on the site of a large industrial complex. The former Töpper works included a chapel, the castle, a park and factory buildings. The Töpper Chapel in Neubruck was originally called St Andrew’s Chapel and opened beside the manor house on 1 September 1834. Its frescoes extend along the walls and up to the crowning dome. The different buildings and their former functions give the place a character distinct from the defensive and religious buildings in the town centre.

From the town promenade to Neustift’s calcareous tufa

The Scheibbs town promenade is a terraced riverside area designed for relaxing. It also serves as a landing stage for rafting trips on the Erlauf and as an event venue; the programme varies. In Neustift, a district of Scheibbs, a disused tufa quarry draws attention to the area’s geology. It is designated a natural monument. Deposits from the Ursprungbach, a tributary of the Erlauf, formed a substantial bed of calcareous tufa there over the past 250,000 years. The porous tufa contains, among other things, fossilised bones and plant impressions.

Walking and cycling routes

At 844 metres, Blassenstein is considered Scheibbs’ local mountain. The Urlingerwarte observation tower stands at its summit and is a prominent landmark of the town. For a longer hike, the Via Aqua is a 75-kilometre circular trail connecting Scheibbs, Purgstall, Gaming and St. Anton. There are 23 teardrop-shaped WASSER-WISSEN stations and several scenic rest stops along the route. Check the current waymarking and trail conditions before setting out.

Mountain bikers can choose from three well-marked routes around Scheibbs. These include routes over Blassenstein and Ginselberg, as well as a panoramic high-altitude trail between Scheibbs and Purgstall. Another option is the Erlauftal Cycle Path: it branches off the Danube Cycle Path near Ybbs and Pöchlarn, follows the Erlauf for much of its length and passes through Scheibbs. The Via Aqua is a circular trail with water-themed stations, while the mountain bike routes and the Erlauftal Cycle Path are separate cycling options.

Another option, offering a different kind of experience, is the Wanne Scheibbs all-weather swimming pool. Its 46-metre-long all-weather slide is in the indoor pool area and goes outside before bringing you back into the warmth.

Plan your journey

Scheibbs is accessible by train or bus. Connected to the Western Railway at Pöchlarn, the Erlauftal Railway runs via Wieselburg and Purgstall directly to the centre of Scheibbs. If you are travelling by train, check the current timetable for your journey.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Steinakirchen Am Forst, Gresten, Göstling An Der Ybbs, Gaming, Scheibbs, Sankt Anton An Der Jessnitz, Lunz Am See, Sankt Georgen An Der Leys, Puchenstuben, Purgstall An Der Erlauf, Kienberg Bei Gaming, Reinsberg, Lassing, Schliefau, Hochreit, Großegg, Strohmarkt, Wieselburg, Oberamt.

For the higher-level travel overview: Lower Austria.