In Peuerbach, Gothic houses and sites commemorating the Peasants’ War sit alongside exhibitions and trails focused on astronomy. You can also explore the shoemaking trade and join nature tours. This gives you a range of themes to choose from when planning your trip: you can focus on architecture and local history, or explore planets, zodiac signs, and the region’s flora and fauna.
Gothic Streets and Castle History
The Gothic town centre includes numerous houses around Kirchenplatz, Hauptstraße and Fleischergasse. The narrow Fleischergasse is known for its archways. This architectural feature gives the street its distinctive character and draws attention to its historic buildings. The first Peuerbach Castle was built around 1370 by the Counts of Schaunberg.
The Peuerbach Castle Museum’s exhibition “Kosmos.Neue Welten – Georg von Peuerbach und sein Vermächtnis” (Cosmos. New Worlds – Georg von Peuerbach and His Legacy) explores another chapter in the town’s history. The exhibition programme may change; check the latest information before your visit. Groups can also visit outside opening hours by making an advance reservation in good time. If you are planning this, be sure to submit your request well in advance.
The parish church has a different historical background: after Peuerbach was burned down during the Peasants’ Wars of 1626, its reconstruction began in 1628. This continued until around the mid-17th century; the church was partly remodelled in the Baroque style and extended. The Kleine Kirche Mariahilf (Little Church of Mary Help of Christians) survived the fire and was also later remodelled in the Baroque style. It was probably founded around 1500 by Barbara von Wallsee; its Late Gothic design suggests this.
Astronomy in the Castle Park and Along the Astroweg
The KOMETOR is a sculpture in Peuerbach Castle Park, designed as a gateway to the world of stars. This walk-through structure is made up of pentagons and has two levels. On the interactive first level, specially created microscopic images are shown alongside images captured by ESA satellites and telescopes. Different scales are thus brought together: images from a microscope and pictures of outer space.
The Astroweg follows the Ledererbach stream. Information boards explain the planets of our solar system, as well as the zodiac signs and their astrological significance. A planetarium and a star map are also part of the Astroweg. The KOMETOR and the Astroweg offer different experiences: one is a walk-through sculpture featuring a comparison of images, while the other is a trail with information about celestial bodies and zodiac signs.
History Along the Trails and in the Trades
The walking trail “Ereignisreiche Spurensuche in Peuerbach” (A Journey Through Peuerbach’s Eventful Past) leads from the castle to the original site of the first battle of the 1626 Peasants’ Revolt, on the Ledererwiese. The Alm-Mühlen-Runde trail passes through the former “valley of seven mills”. In the past, powerful waterwheels there drove mills and hammer mills. The trails highlight different historical themes: one leads to a site of the Peasants’ Revolt, while the other recalls the former use of hydropower.
The Shoemaking and Traditions Museum showcases tools and machines used in the shoemaking trade over many generations. The exhibits come from the shoemaking workshop of Karl Kaltseis in Eschenau. Alongside major historical events, the history of a traditional trade also takes centre stage.
Nature Tours
The Upper Austrian Nature Conservation Federation (OÖ Naturschutzbund) offers nature tours through the diverse flora and fauna of the Koaserin. Register at the town hall; check the current registration options before making plans. When choosing activities for your trip, you can therefore decide between architectural history, astronomy, traditional crafts and a guided nature tour.
Discover more destinations: Wendling, Schlüßlberg, Pötting, Tollet, Bad Schallerbach, Michaelnbach, Wallern An Der Trattnach, Aistersheim.
For the broader travel overview: Grieskirchen.
