Discover Schärding: Baroque Old Town and Inn Meadows

Schärding combines medieval history, Baroque cityscapes and the natural landscape of the Inn to create a varied travel destination. The Baroque Silberzeile defines the old town, while the castle, Castle Gate, Water Gate, Linz Gate and Passau Gate tell the story of the city’s past. Those looking for a holiday apartment in Schärding can therefore tailor their stay to their preferred travel theme: cultural discoveries, walks through the Inn meadows, special guided tours or a trip on the river.

Old Town, Museum and Special Stories

A good introduction to Schärding’s history is the town museum. Nine rooms display exhibits from various eras, from the Neolithic period to the present day. The themes range from prehistoric finds and mills to shipping on the Inn and craft guilds, as well as Gothic and Baroque woodcarving. The museum is located in a former castle complex, complementing the historical impressions of the old town.

The Schlossgalerie also focuses on culture. It has three exhibition rooms for various exhibitions by artists and provides space for interactions between music, visual art, literature and science. Guided tours through the Baroque old town focus on churches, town houses and fountains. In addition, a total of 50 buildings in the old town were listed as protected monuments in 1966. A night watchman’s tour leads through the dark lanes at night and conveys stories about historical night watchmen, special events and personalities from Schärding’s past.

Inn Meadows and Paths for Active Days

The Schärding Inn meadows have been designated a nature reserve since 2018. The Inn meadows within the city limits cover around six hectares and are home to bodies of water, rare fish species, amphibians, numerous bird species and beavers. The Schärding Inn Meadows circular hiking trail provides information on topics relating to the nature of the Inn meadows through 13 large, informative display panels. Those looking for historical motifs and viewpoints in addition to a walk can choose the Treasure Hunt Trail, a themed circular route through Schärding.

For a longer travel idea, the Innviertel Way of St. James passes by Schärding. The pilgrimage route is 141 kilometres long and is completed in six daily stages. This also makes it possible to include Schärding in a multi-day hiking plan without having to dedicate the entire stay to a single experience.

Water, River and Regional Impressions

Schärding’s municipal swimming pool has a 1,200 m² water area, a three-metre diving tower, a long spiral slide and a children’s paddling pool. For a different view of the surroundings, Innschifffahrt Kpt. Schaurecker offers river experiences between Schärding and Passau. The landscape of the Lower Inn Valley and the history of shipping on the Inn are the focus. A brewery tour at Baumgartner Brewery ends with a beer tasting at the Bierapotheke, adding a pleasurable theme to the cultural impressions.

Choose Schärding as Your Base

Schärding railway station is located on the route between Passau and Linz. Regular train connections and a signposted footpath link it with the town centre. When choosing your accommodation, you can therefore consider whether you primarily want to experience the old town and its cultural offerings, include nature trails in your plans or combine different excursions. For more places to consider when planning your trip, you can also look at the following destinations individually: Mayrhof, Altschwendt, Brunnenthal, Dorf An Der Pram, Eggerding, Enzenkirchen, Barockstadt Schärding, Andorf, Engelhartszell, Vichtenstein, Schardenberg, Zell An Der Pram, Sankt Florian Am Inn, Waldkirchen Am Wesen, Wesenufer, Suben, Wernstein Am Inn, Gumping, Esternberg, Münzkirchen, Raab, Rainbach Im Innkreis, Riedau, Sigharting, Sankt Aegidi, Sankt Marienkirchen bei Schärding, Sankt Roman, Sankt Willibald, Taufkirchen an der Pram, Freinberg, Diersbach and Kopfing Im Innkreis.

For the higher-level travel overview: Upper Austria.