Discover Bad Pirawarth: Spa Town History, Pilgrimage Route and Rolling Hills

Bad Pirawarth combines the Weinviertel landscape with history, art and distinctive trails. Gentle hills, fields and vineyards characterize the town just as much as the adjacent Hochleithen Forest.

Culture and History of the Spa Town

The Bad Pirawarth Barn Museum offers an informative introduction to the region’s past. It displays historic agricultural equipment, household items, old machinery and tractors, as well as objects related to viticulture. This shows how strongly agriculture and winegrowing shaped life in the surrounding area, while the visit is not limited to a single theme.

The parish church of Bad Pirawarth stands on a hill above the town. It is dedicated to Saint Barbara and Saint Agatha and acquired its present appearance in the second half of the 18th century. For visitors interested in culture, it is therefore a prominent feature of the townscape. The history of the former spa also forms part of Bad Pirawarth’s identity: the documentation goes back to 1303. Every two weeks, guided tours on the history of the former spa are offered in the annex of the former spa house, the last remaining building of the old spa house.

Art in the Open Air

The Prof. Knesl Open-Air Museum adds another cultural highlight. The sculpture park presents the life’s work of sculptor Prof. Hans Knesl and is complemented by works by local artist Mag. Walfrid Huber. When planning your trip, you should take the season into account: the sculptures are covered in winter. Bad Pirawarth is also home to Prof.-Knesl-Platz, a lovingly designed meeting place in the heart of the town that combines the quiet elegance of the spa town with the charm of the Weinviertel.

Rolling Hills, Garden and Trails

For walks and panoramic views, the “tut gut” hiking trail Route 2 offers a varied course. It leads from the Bad Pirawarth Clinic through the spa park towards the sports field, over Mitterberg with views across the entire region, via Plassel and Köberl, and back to the Bad Pirawarth Clinic along the flood protection facility on Harras Bach. Anyone wishing to discover additional garden design can include the Saubergen Show Garden, which features various design elements.

Another option is the Weinberg.Walking.Weinviertel trail. It begins at the bridge over Harrasser Bach, follows a marked path and, after one kilometer, leads back to the clinic alongside the railway line.

Experience the St. Francis Way in Sections

Bad Pirawarth lies directly on the St. Francis Way Weinviertel, a pilgrimage route through the region’s diverse, cultivated rolling hills in the southern Weinviertel. The entire route is approximately 135 km long. It can be walked in sections of different lengths; entry and exit are possible in each of the region’s 26 participating towns. This choice of stages is particularly helpful if you would like to vary how you spend your holiday days or leave time for museums, churches and the landscape in addition to the pilgrimage route. The parish church of Bad Pirawarth is also dedicated to Saint Barbara and Saint Agatha.

Bad Pirawarth as a Base for Your Trip

When looking for accommodation, you can consider whether you would like to combine Bad Pirawarth’s cultural attractions, trails and landscape into a single travel itinerary. The town can be reached via the road network from the Hochleiten exit on the A5, as well as via the B7 and B220. It is also connected to the rail network by a regional express feeder service. This means you can take the choice between traveling by car or train into account when planning a holiday apartment, without having to assume specific distances or travel times.

For more travel ideas, you can also visit the town pages for Matzen-Raggendorf, Prottes, Dürnkrut, Hohenruppersdorf, Gänserndorf, Jedenspeigen, Orth An Der Donau and Mannsdorf An Der Donau.

To the higher-level travel overview: Gänserndorf.