48 hours in St. Pölten
Must-dos for a weekend in St. Pölten: restaurants, excursions & more Want to spend a weekend exploring the capital of Lower Austria? Here are our recommendations for 48 hours in St. Pölten.
We bet that this small town of 60,000 inhabitants on the Traisen river has more to offer than you might think at first glance. St. Pölten is full of culture, culinary delights and outdoor activities. We spent a weekend exploring the sights, restaurants and cool cultural institutions and collected the best insider tips and excursion ideas – whether you're travelling alone, as a couple or with the whole family.
FYI: St. Pölten is very easy to reach from Vienna. Not only is it a stone's throw away, but trains also run every few minutes from several stations in Vienna to St. Pölten. Chill.
DAY 1
Start at Café Schubert
Save your snack for the journey and keep a little hunger in reserve so you can start your day in St. Pölten at Café Schubert. If there's a free seat, be sure to grab a table outside and enjoy the hustle and bustle of the lively Herrenplatz. If you're spoiled by Viennese coffee house culture and looking for good alternatives, Café Schubert is the place for you. Freshly ground coffee is supplied by the small Erika Coffee Roasters, named after the roaster's grandmother, who lived above the current café for many years. For sustenance for the day, order one of the many organic egg dishes with delicious Joseph bread.
After breakfast, you can check out the city centre with its lively alleys around Kremser Gasse, Rathausgasse and Schreinergasse, the cathedral square and the former synagogue. Everything is within easy walking distance.
Read more: Tips for brunch and breakfast in St. Pölten
Take a pedal boat trip
If you want to know what else you can do in St. Pölten, we have one of the coolest activities in the city for you: take a leisurely stroll or pedal north along the Traisen on a rental bike (nextbike) until you reach the Seedose. Here you can rent a pedal boat for four people from 7 euros and cruise leisurely across Lake Viehofner – perfect for families. Travelling alone? Just grab a SUP board and paddle your way across the lake. The Seedose also offers romantic boat picnics for two, ranging from breakfast to Mediterranean dishes to deluxe dinners.
Also great for anyone looking for a bit of entertainment with a lake view: the regular concerts at the Seedose or on Lake Ratzersdorf on the other side of the Traisen are particularly dreamy.
Read more: All lake experiences in St. Pölten
Afternoon fun for the whole family
You come here with your kids and wonder: Where can I take the kids in St. Pölten? Our tip: Head to the KinderKunstLabor! The modern exhibition space in the centre is a great place for children to encounter contemporary art and artists. A must-see with the little ones: the crocheted net sculpture by Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam. The Archipelago play area, the sculptures in the adjacent Altoona Park and the many creative workshops offered by the centre also provide fun for young and old alike.
Read more: Tips for families in St. Pölten
Dinner with a view at Das Alfred
Want to end your first day in St. Pölten with something special? The bar on the top floor of Das Alfred – Design Budget Hotel is the ideal place for a relaxing sundowner. From its roof terrace, you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the Lower Austrian Pre-Alps and savour the balmy summer evening in a relaxed atmosphere. To add the finishing touch to that holiday feeling, from 4 p.m. onwards you can enjoy sparkling drinks, trendy dishes such as pins, wraps and tapas, and cool beats.
Read more: Cool bars and pubs in the city
Looking for the right place to stay so you can start the next day well rested? Click here for the best hotels in St. Pölten.
DAY 2
Veggie breakfast in St. Pölten at Café Emmi
Are you vegetarian/vegan and in desperate need of a healthy yet delicious breakfast? Then start your second day at Café Emmi. This cool café on Linzer Straße is in a great location and is sure to put a smile on your face with its in-house patisserie and wonderful specialty coffee from nearby roasters. Must-tries at this brunch and lunch spot include the many vegetarian dishes such as eggs Benedict, sesame bagels with various spreads, and fresh waffles. And if you still have room after breakfast or come back later, grab some organic ice cream to go.
Read more: More cafés in St. Pölten
Take an afternoon trip to the countryside
St. Pölten also offers many activities around the city. A trip to Pottenbrunn Water Castle is particularly enjoyable. From the city centre, it takes about an hour and a half on foot or less than half an hour by bike. Once there, you can stroll through the beautiful park and admire the old walls from the outside. Got more time? A detour to Schallaburg with guided tours and exhibitions, a trip to the Wachau region to the Welterbesteig trail or a ride on the Mariazellerbahn railway to the Mostviertel Pielachtal valley are great experiences in nature.
Read more: Excursion tips and activities
Regional dinner in St. Pölten at Vinzenz Pauli
One of the best places to eat in St. Pölten is definitely Vinzenz Pauli. This cosy restaurant in the west of the city combines traditional pub culture with creative zeitgeist. Seasonal dishes are served, with a focus on sustainability thanks to nose-to-tail processing. The fresh produce from local producers is complemented by warm hospitality, making this restaurant in St. Pölten a very special place. Highly recommended: the Jerusalem artichoke and crackling dumplings and the veal schnitzel.
Tip: At the regular farm-to-table events, regional vegetables are the main feature of the evening. The menu includes a variety of vegetarian and vegan dishes accompanied by wine.
Read more: Excellent restaurants in St. Pölten
Enjoy art and culture in the evening
Don't want to choose between high culture and cabaret? You don't have to! At the Festspielhaus St. Pölten, you can attend international dance performances and contemporary ballet. The Festspielhaus kicks off its new season on 26 and 27 September with a visually stunning performance by the Ballet Nacional de España, inviting you to a hypnotic show based on flamenco with Afanador. Another masterpiece is on the programme on 11 October with Pina Bausch's Kontakthof.
Prefer smaller stages that mean the world? Bühne im Hof, a former laundry, presents a colourful programme ranging from cabarets to concerts. For this year's 35th anniversary, you can choose between comedy performances, a circus festival, a festival for digital art and new media, discussion formats or performances by Monika Ballwein, Christoph Grissemann and much more.
Read more: To all stages in the city
