Discover Großkrut: Viticulture, Trails and History

Großkrut brings together historical landmarks, viticulture and trails through a diverse cultural landscape. Those looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home will find options here for a variety of day plans: historical discoveries around the parish church of Saint Stephen, trails on Kellerberg and Kapellenberg, markets held on set dates, and viewpoints overlooking prominent destinations in the surrounding area.

History that remains visible in Großkrut

One of the most unusual landmarks is the Pillory Column. It is the only preserved execution site in the Weinviertel and stands as a medieval relic on a small hill outside Großkrut. By car, it can be reached via the B47 towards Katzelsdorf. This makes it possible to include a historical destination in your day plan without equating it with the sights within the town itself.

The parish church of Saint Stephen also bears traces of several eras. Its Romanesque core dates from the 12th century. On the eastern side of the choir there is also an Ölberg relief by an unknown artist dating from around 1500. Located on a hill, the former fortified church is a Late Gothic stepped church with a Romanesque core. In addition, the ancient parish of Gaubtisch-Krut, founded as a double parish around 1055, reflects the ecclesiastical importance of the place: it became the mother parish of 21 parishes in the northeastern Weinviertel.

Trails, viewpoints and viticulture

Two routes of different lengths are available for exercise. The “Step by Step with Fito Fit” route between Großkrut and Kellerberg is 3.2 kilometres long. The Wine Culture Trail is designated as a 9.5-kilometre route. If you like to spend your holiday days taking either a shorter walk or a longer route, you can take these two distances into account when planning. The names of the routes indicate their respective thematic focus.

The Wartberg observation tower stands at the municipality’s highest point, 235 metres above the Adriatic. Another viewpoint is located on Kapellenberg: the Betty Bernstein Viewpoint offers views of Buschberg as well as the ruins of Staatz and Falkenstein. At the foot of Großkrut’s Kellerberg, information boards explain the history of viticulture in Großkrut. This allows landscape impressions, views and the history of regional viticulture to be combined without prescribing a specific itinerary.

Below Kapellenberg there is also an Erdstall system, around 270 metres long and one of the most extensive in all of Central Europe. The Erdstall Museum provides an overview of the research work and the facility. This visit complements the above-ground trails and historic buildings with a distinctive underground chapter in the history of the town.

Markets and fixed dates

Markets are still held in Großkrut four times a year: on 2 February for Candlemas, on 16 May for the Feast of Saint John Nepomuk, on 10 August for the Feast of Saint Lawrence, and on 15 October for the Feast of Saint Theresia. Anyone planning a stay for a specific date can take these market days into account. The Kellerberg Festival takes place every year at the end of August and is traditionally very well attended.

Choosing the right starting point

When looking for accommodation in Großkrut, it is worth deciding first what kind of travel rhythm you prefer. For a trip focused on history, the Pillory Column, parish church, Erdstall Museum and the historical development of the ancient parish are the main attractions. Those who prefer to combine trails of different lengths, viewpoints and the history of viticulture can give greater emphasis to the routes on Kellerberg and the destinations on Kapellenberg. A holiday apartment or holiday home should suit your own daily routine and planned length of stay; specific amenities or distances should always be taken from the individual accommodation listing.

For more places at this level, you can also discover Hausbrunn, Traunfeld, Ottenthal, Mistelbach An Der Zaya, Großharras, Gemeinde Ulrichskirchen-Schleinbach, Eibesbrunn and Neudorf Bei Staatz.

To the higher-level travel overview: Mistelbach.