Mauthausen brings together different ways of exploring the town’s history: historic trade routes, striking buildings and cycling routes along the Danube. When planning your visit, it is worth deciding what you would like to focus on—for example, Pragstein Castle, St. Nicholas Parish Church, the Mauthausen Concentration Camp Memorial or routes along the river.
Trade Routes, the Castle and Church History
Historically, two trade routes crossed in Mauthausen. The Danube shipping route ran from west to east along the old Roman frontier. From the south, the Salt and Iron Road crossed the Danube ford and continued north towards Bohemia and Moravia. The waterway and the north–south connection thus stand alongside one another as distinct strands of the town’s history. Over time, the granite quarries in Mauthausen replaced the salt trade. Many cobbled streets, bridges and foundations in Linz, Vienna and Budapest still bear witness to the importance of the Mauthausen granite quarries.
Pragstein Castle was built in 1492 by Lassla von Prag, then lord of Mauthausen by pledge, on a rocky island just off the Danube shore. Its pentagonal ground plan makes the building particularly easy to appreciate: the fifth corner points west, against the current, like a ship’s bow. For groups of ten or more, guided tours of the Mauthausen Castle Museums are available year-round, including outside opening hours, by prior arrangement. Confirm the arrangements before your trip.
St. Nicholas Parish Church also tells a story of architectural change. Its first Romanesque building dated from around 1200 and was destroyed in 1424 during the Hussite Wars. The church was rebuilt in the Late Gothic style in the mid-15th century. Together with Pragstein Castle, it represents two different historical chapters: a fortification on the Danube and a church rebuilt after its destruction.
Visiting the Mauthausen Concentration Camp Memorial
Admission to the Mauthausen Concentration Camp Memorial site is free, and no registration is required. A free audio guide app is available for Android and iOS in twelve languages. As this information concerns current visitor arrangements, it is advisable to check the memorial’s latest notices before your visit. The distance to the railway station is also a useful reference for planning your journey: Mauthausen/Oberösterreich station is about four kilometres from the memorial.
The Danube, Cycling Routes and Views
Mauthausen is right on the Danube Cycle Path. Heindlkai on the riverbank is a good place for a short cycling or photo stop, with a view of Pragstein Castle. Two circular cycling routes offer further guidance when choosing a ride: the Mauthausen Cycling Circuit 972 is about 17 kilometres long, and the “Pragstein Castle–Mauthausen” Cycling Circuit is 17.5 kilometres long. The latter starts at Pragstein Castle in the centre of the Danube market town of Mauthausen. The two distances are close, and the 17.5-kilometre circuit also has a clearly specified starting point.
The Danube Trail stage details also make Mauthausen a destination for different route plans: Stage 3 runs from Steyregg to Mauthausen, and Stage 4 from Mauthausen to Perg. In these two descriptions, the town is named once as a stage destination and once as a starting point. If you are planning one of these stages, you can use this to tell whether the route ends in Mauthausen or heads from there towards Perg. For a view across the landscape, Kalvarienberg offers a panorama of the Danube Valley.
Discover more destinations: Henndorf, Katsdorf, Perg, MĂĽnzbach, Windhaag Bei Perg, Sankt Georgen Am Walde, Sankt Georgen An Der Gusen, Langenstein.
Back to the main travel overview: Perg.
