Niederösterreich - Wiener Wanderland

S-Bahn Wanderings – Absdorf.

Jessica Bannister-PearceAugust 4, 202102.6K views

Summer is the perfect time to get out and get some wandering done. The sun is out and I fancied taking a trip. Now living in Austria you’re never short of a destination or two. Salzburg, Innsbruck, Linz and Graz are all fantastic destinations, but you can miss so much of Austria heading to these tourist destinations. I came up with an idea that was going to mean I’d avoid the tourist traps and instead experience the countryside for myself. Yes, I’d be hitting up the S-Bahn and heading to Absdorf.

Two Hours in Pöchlarn.

Jessica Bannister-PearceApril 13, 202102.7K views

I visited Pöchlarn in the Autumn of 2017. I’d passed through the train station many a time when heading to Wieselburg, and curiosity got the better of me. Pöchlarn sits between Melk to the East and Amstetten to the west. It’s around an hours journey time from Vienna and you’ll need to change at St. Pölten for the Amstetten service.

Mödling. There Be Dragons?

Jessica Bannister-PearceMarch 17, 202102.8K views

Mödling is just a 25-minute train journey from Vienna Hauptbahnhof and has a reputation for being a great place to go hiking. It also has a rich history, dating back to the Neolithic period, though I’m not sure that’s much help today. In more modern times the town has seen its beautifully preserved centre protected under the Hague Convention. With frescos that can date back to the 13th century and many buildings from the 16th century still in use, Mödling is a rather pretty town.

Good for the Goose. The MartiniGansl experience

Jessica Bannister-PearceNovember 11, 201702K views

One of the things I really love about living in Austria is the wonder of seasonal events that fill the calendar. Come to November and things turn to all sorts of Goose like goodness. St. Martin’s day falls on the 11th of November and traditionally, a meal of Goose is eaten. I’ve not had the pleasure of eating Goose, so this year, Lynda and I decided to try it out.

Melk. The Wachau valley’s most stunning town.

Jessica Bannister-PearceSeptember 28, 201702.6K views

For this wander, I’m taking to the rails once more and heading west to the Medieval town of Melk. Melk is one of those ‘must see’ areas. Situated on the Danube, Melk’s main reason to visit is the imposing Abbey that sits above the town.

Two Hours in Wieselburg

Jessica Bannister-PearceSeptember 6, 201702.4K views

I like surprises, and today I unexpectedly find myself some 60km from Wien, on a whistlestop tour of Wieselburg. I’m here for just two short hours, so I’ve got a lot to…

Klosterneuburg – The Catherderal town.

Jessica Bannister-PearceSeptember 6, 201701.7K views

The day begins early. Stupidly early. Let’s call it stupid o’clock. At Stupid o’clock, everything is kind of quiet. Vienna is just waking up. For that matter, so am I. This also holds true for the driver of the U4 U-Bahn. The Train to Klosterneuburg goes every 30 minutes, and as I get off the train, I can see the S40 pull away from Heiligenstadt station. If the U-Bahn had arrived just 30 seconds sooner, I’d have made it. Bugger it, let’s grab a coffee. I need a coffee. It’s stupid o’clock after all. I sit drinking my coffee outside the station, opposite Karl Marx Hof. Karl Marx Hof is known for being the worlds longest apartment building, stretching a full kilometre and then some. It’ll appear again in a later wander. Today I’m heading just a few minutes north, to the town of Klosterneuburg. As its name somewhat suggests, Klosterneuburg is home to a large cathedral. Its also home to some great little Vineyards and offers great views out over the Danube and Vienna. I’m looking forward to getting there.

Eggenburg. WaldWiertels’ Medival gem

Jessica Bannister-PearceAugust 20, 201702K views

Anyway, I’m on the move and heading north to the Medieval town of Eggenburg. The day has not gone terribly well. I appear a bit rusty this morning as I grab my gear to go. My camera’s battery was a bit low and I don’t have time to charge it.

Tulln. The Town on the Danube.

Jessica Bannister-PearceJuly 18, 201702.3K views

To the north of Vienna, around the bend of the Danube, lies the town of Tulln an der Donau, or Tulln for short. I know absolutely nothing about the place bar for the military airbase that sits to the east. Oh and the VOR turning point for flights into Vienna international. That’s it. Of all the places I could see, this one excites me. As it turns out, Tulln is quite an interesting place. The Viennese newspaper ‘Der Standard’ is printed here, and the town narrowly lost becoming the Niederösterreich Capital to Nearby City, Sankt Pölten.

Marchegg. Austria’s last stop before Slovakia.

Jessica Bannister-PearceJuly 9, 201701.9K views

Along with all these very swish, very modern trains, twice an hour, a tiny little diesel train chugs past. Looking like a refuge from the 1980s when trains were modelled on lego bricks, it passes one way just before twenty to the hour, and another chugs back just after the hour. This curious little train heads to Marchegg, a small town right on the edge of Austria. Being curious, I had to take a trip there. So I did.