Discover Scheibbs: Culture, the Erlauf Valley and Trails

Scheibbs combines an impressive history with the landscape of the Erlauf Valley. Those planning a trip with culture, activity and weather-independent experiences will find a variety of options here for enjoyable days. The “Scheibbs Old Town Tour” can be explored independently. A brochure with an overview map and information boards along the route explains the history of the town. In addition, the guided town tour “Scheibbs in the Flow of Time” starts at the railway station and lasts just over an hour.

Historic Buildings and Special Cultural Sites

One of the most prominent sights is Scheibbs Castle. At the beginning of the 17th century, Gaming Charterhouse transformed the building into a spacious four-winged castle. Concerts are held in the arcaded courtyard from time to time. The Scheibbs Ceramics Museum is housed in a former hammer mill and complements the town’s cultural focus.

The surviving parts of the town fortifications also tell stories of the past. The Powder Tower is the oldest surviving defensive tower in Scheibbs; exhibitions are held inside it. Flecknertor is the only remaining gate tower of the town wall. The Töpper Mausoleum provides another historic landmark. It has a devotional room and a crypt beneath it. In 1882, the Scheibbs parish office acquired around 300 square feet of cemetery land for this purpose, equivalent to just under 100 square metres.

Neubruck Castle, also known as Töpperschloss Neubruck, was built in Neubruck around 1820 as a manor house on the grounds of a large industrial complex. The former Töpper works included a chapel, Neubruck Castle, a park and factory halls. Neubruck Töpper Chapel was originally called St Andrew’s Chapel and was opened next to the manor house on 1 September 1834. Its extensive fresco programme extends along the walls up to the crowning dome. Scheibbs itself is also home to a late Gothic, three-nave hall church: the parish church was built at the beginning of the 16th century, almost completely destroyed by a devastating fire in 1645, and subsequently given a Baroque makeover and enlarged by four side chapels.

The Erlauf Valley, Tuff Stone and Trails in the Landscape

Scheibbs Stadtmole is a grandstand-style riverside area designed for relaxing, while also serving as a landing stage for rafting trips on the Erlauf and as an event venue. A geological destination lies in Neustift, a district of Scheibbs: the disused tuff quarry is designated as a natural monument. In Neustift tuff, deposits from the Ursprungbach, a tributary of the Erlauf, formed a substantial calcareous tuff bank over the last 250,000 years. The porous tuff contains, among other things, fossilised bones and plant impressions.

There are various routes to choose from for active days. At 844 metres, Blassenstein is considered Scheibbs’ local mountain. The Urlingerwarte observation tower stands on its summit and is a distinctive landmark of Scheibbs. There are three well-signposted mountain bike routes around Scheibbs, including routes over Blassenstein and Ginselberg, as well as a panoramic ridge route between Scheibbs and Purgstall.

Those planning a longer excursion can consider the Via Aqua. The 75-kilometre circular trail connects Scheibbs, Purgstall, Gaming and St Anton. Along the route there are 23 drop-shaped WASSER-WISSEN stations and several scenic rest areas. The Erlauf Valley Cycle Path branches off from the Danube Cycle Path at Ybbs and Pöchlarn, follows the Erlauf for much of its route and passes through Scheibbs.

The Right Base for Your Stay

When looking for a holiday apartment in Scheibbs, you can make your preferred travel pace the starting point: the Old Town Tour, historic buildings and the guided town tour are ideal for focusing on the town’s history, while Blassenstein, the mountain bike routes, Via Aqua and the Erlauf Valley Cycle Path offer active days in the landscape. The Wanne Scheibbs all-weather pool is an option regardless of the weather. The indoor pool has a 46-metre-long all-weather slide that leads outdoors and back into the warmth.

Scheibbs can be reached by train or bus. Connected to the Western Railway at Pöchlarn, the Erlauf Valley Railway runs via Wieselburg and Purgstall directly into the centre of Scheibbs. This transport service may play a role in choosing your accommodation, as may the question of whether you mainly want to experience culture, undertake longer routes or combine both.

More Places for Planning Your Trip

For your individual selection, you can also view the following location pages: Göstling An Der Ybbs, Gaming, Hochreit, Großegg, Gresten, Steinakirchen Am Forst, Kienberg Bei Gaming, Lassing, Scheibbs, Sankt Anton An Der Jessnitz, Sankt Georgen An Der Leys, Puchenstuben, Purgstall An Der Erlauf, Reinsberg, Schliefau, Strohmarkt, Wieselburg, Oberamt and Lunz Am See.

For the higher-level travel overview: Lower Austria.