In Groß-Siegharts, museums, historic sites and traditional crafts tell different sides of the town’s history. Its textile tradition is particularly prominent: you can see it in the development of ribbon weaving, at a former industrial complex and in handmade carpets. There is also a museum devoted to banking history, as well as ways to spend time in the castle park, by the water or on cycling routes.
Textile History at Several Sites
The Groß-Siegharts Textile Museum explores the development of local ribbon weaving and the everyday lives of the people who worked in the trade. Its permanent exhibition covers around 600 m² and includes about 1,000 exhibits. The focus is therefore not just on the products: the exhibition also explores the history of a trade and the lives of the people who worked in it.
The Sieghartsbergweg offers another way to explore textile history. It passes the building complex of the former carpet and upholstery fabric mills, a reminder of the heyday of the textile industry in Groß-Siegharts. Groß-Siegharts Castle is also a starting point for the Waldviertel Textile Route. The museum, trail and themed route each offer a different perspective: ribbon weaving and everyday life, a surviving testament to the former industry, and a route with a focus on textiles.
Craftsmanship is also part of the Waldviertel carpet embroidery tradition. Artisans handcraft carpets from pure sheep’s wool; each one is a unique example of Waldviertel craftsmanship. This focus on materials and individual production complements the history of ribbon weaving with a different kind of textile craft.
Museums, Art and a Historic Milestone
The First Austrian Savings Bank Museum explores a different subject. Its exhibits include technical objects, old documents, historic banknotes and securities, old accounting records and an old bank counter. The focus is on financial and banking history rather than textile production. Visitors interested in both will find that the museums have clearly distinct themes.
The Kunstfabrik Groß-Siegharts has a gallery that brings national and international contemporary artists to the Waldviertel. Another specific date in the town’s history is 1795, when the pillory in Groß-Siegharts was erected. Together, the art, museum collections and historic structure offer different ways to explore the area, without every cultural attraction focusing on the same subject.
Castle Park, Forest Swimming Pool and Cycling Loop
The castle park is in the town centre and covers 30,000 m². Its features include mature trees, a duck pond, a children’s playground and a stick-shooting lane. With its varied attractions spread across a spacious site, the park makes for a distinct green stop in town.
The Groß-Siegharts Forest Swimming Pool has a water slide, a long sandy beach and a large non-swimmer area. The Groß-Siegharts “Tut gut” hiking routes also start from the forest pool car park. This gives you two different options to plan around: the pool’s facilities and the start of the hiking routes at its car park.
For a bike ride, the Seebsbach cycling loop is suitable for trekking bikes, city bikes and e-bikes, and connects to the TOP cycling route Thayarunde. This makes it easy to distinguish the cycling option from the museum and park attractions. When choosing your accommodation, consider which of these themes matters most for your stay: textile and industrial history, art and collections, or outdoor activities.
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