Stadtmuseum St. Pölten has a history stretching back more than a century. Originally based in the town hall, the museum relocated several times before finding a permanent home in the Karmeliterhof in 1976. Its holdings include archaeological artefacts, material on the city’s history, and a dedicated Art Nouveau section. The exhibition "City + State = 40" begins on the ground floor and explores the development of the new government district along the Traisen in the 1990s.

More Information you will find here: https://www.stadtmuseum-stp.at/

Together with Domplatz and Herrenplatz, Rathausplatz forms the vibrant heart of the city. Covering some 6,600 square metres, it is the largest square in St. Pölten. With its cafés and restaurants, open-air cinema and varied events, it offers visitors the chance to enjoy the cuisine and culture.

Life in the city

Rathausplatz was already recorded as the “Breiter Markt” in the Middle Ages, although its history extends much further back. Excavations during the construction of an underground car park uncovered a Roman quarter of traders and craftspeople. The town hall evolved over the centuries, assuming its present form in the 16th century, before Joseph Munggenast added its Baroque façade in 1727. The Holy Trinity Column, also Baroque, stood amid parked cars until as recently as 1990. Boris Podrecca’s redesign of the square in 1996 created a car-free urban space with ample room for festivals, concerts and sporting events. The Landestheater and open-air cinema draw both theatre-goers and film audiences. With more than 180 cafés and restaurants, St. Pölten is particularly well-served in culinary terms.

Renewal across the state

After Klagenfurt, St. Pölten was the second city in Austria to introduce a pedestrian zone. As early as 1961, this marked a step towards a more vibrant city centre and an improved quality of life in public space. Today, 25 towns and cities in Lower Austria have pedestrianised areas.

Urban and village renewal has also progressed significantly: since 1985, some 740 local initiatives have been established across Lower Austria, involving around 30,000 volunteers. At a time of shop closures and urban outmigration, they help revitalise town and village centres and strengthen social cohesion.

In the 1980s, the train journey from St. Pölten to Vienna took at least 45 minutes. Today, new tunnels and high-speed trains have reduced the journey time to just 21 minutes.

Well-connected

St. Pölten lies on the Western Railway and serves as a key rail hub for both long-distance and regional services: the Traisen Valley Railway runs south, the Mariazell Railway leads to the well-known pilgrimage town, and the Tullnerfeld and Krems lines connect the north.

St. Pölten’s main railway station, extensively modernised between 2006 and 2011 while remaining in operation, is also a major local transport hub. The city’s bus network was introduced in 2007; its name, LUP, derives from the city’s heraldic animal, the wolf (lupus in Latin). What began with ten routes has since expanded considerably, and buses have become an integral part of the city’s public transport system.

More sustainable travel

With the relocation of the state administration, improving public transport links to St. Pölten became essential. From 1996 onwards, the Wieselbus lines played a key role. Federal decisions also had a marked impact on Lower Austria after the turn of the millennium, most notably the new Western Railway line (opened in 2012) and the freight bypass (2017).

In 2002, responsibility for all federal roads was transferred to the states, which have overseen their maintenance ever since. Investment in roads in Lower Austria still exceeds that in rail by almost three to one, though this is set to change, not least through the electrification of the Traisen Valley Railway and the completion of the Semmering Base Tunnel.

Running hospitals is costly. For many years, they were run by towns and municipalities. Around 20 years ago, the state took over many hospitals to coordinate investment more effectively through central planning. This is also the case at St. Pölten’s hospital.

Comprehensive care

In 1986, the hospital in St. Pölten was run by the city, with 1,558 staff and 1,085 beds. Today, the Universitätsklinikum St. Pölten at Dunant-Platz 1, with around 3,000 staff and 1,140 beds, is the largest in Lower Austria. To ease pressure on services and ensure fast, accessible care, the city opened its first primary care centre in the south in 2019, followed by PVZ Nord in the north in 2025. Expanding primary care remains a key priority of St. Pölten’s long-term urban development masterplan stp*25|50.

Behind the main railway station, at Kremser Landstrasse 3, is a service centre of the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK). Residents also benefit from group medical practices, where doctors share resources and costs.

Healthcare across the state

Over the past 40 years, healthcare in Lower Austria has become more centralised. Today, university hospitals such as those in St. Pölten, Wiener Neustadt, Tulln and Krems handle complex cases, while smaller hospitals and close-to-home primary care centres provide basic services. This reduces waiting times and eases pressure on larger facilities.

Staff shortages, rising costs and an ageing population are a defining feature of healthcare today. In rural areas in particular, it is often difficult to replace retiring GPs. Meanwhile, demand for care homes, mobile services and assisted living is increasing. These developments highlight the need for ongoing organisational change, expanded training opportunities and new models of care.

In 1986, St. Pölten was a traditional school town, offering primary, secondary and vocational education. Since then, pupil numbers have grown, and many technical schools have developed into modern upper-secondary vocational colleges, attracting young people from across the wider region.

Education in the city

St. Pölten entered higher education in 1993 with the establishment of the “Association for the Promotion of the University of Applied Sciences”, laying the foundations for the institution. The first degree programme, “Telecommunications and Media”, began in 1996. Today, courses cover a wide range of fields, from engineering and media to health management. In 2024 it was upgraded, becoming the University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten.

A dense network of institutions has emerged in the city, including the Bertha von Suttner Private University, the New Design University, and the Private University College of Teacher Education of Christian Churches Austria (KPH). The Johannes Kepler University Linz also enables distance-learning law students to sit exams in St. Pölten. Once a school town, it is now a centre of education.

Higher education across the state

Knowledge is one of the most important resources of our time, and education is its wellspring. Lower Austria had considerable ground to make up in this regard: in the mid-1980s, the state had no universities; today there are six. Alongside developments in St. Pölten, new campuses in Tulln and Wiener Neustadt (opened in 1994) and in Krems (opened in 1995) played a key role.

While 64 per cent of degrees at these institutions are awarded to women, their share among teaching staff in Lower Austria remains much lower: only around 22 per cent of academic staff are women, compared with over 32 per cent at public universities across Austria.

In 1986, Domplatz was little more than a car park. Excavations carried out between 2010 and 2019 uncovered a rich array of finds and shed new light on the site. Today, it provides an ideal setting for exploring the development of science and research in the city and the wider region.

Science in the city

Archaeological excavations carried out prior to the redesign of the city’s second-largest square revealed significant new findings, including the remains of a Roman administrative palace. In the Middle Ages, a church complex was built on its foundations. For over 900 years, the surrounding area served as the final resting place for more than 22,000 people, making it the largest excavated cemetery in Europe. International research projects are ongoing, including collaborations with the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig.

Domplatz is lined with the newly redesigned Museum am Dom, the diocesan archive and the city library. Nearby is the Private University College of Teacher Education of Christian Churches Austria (KPH). These modern centres of knowledge support research on regional and European history.

Research across the state

From the 1990s, major technology centres were established in Lower Austria, including in Krems, Wieselburg and Klosterneuburg-Gugging. The Institute of Science and Technology Austria has conducted basic research there since 2009. Today, over 1,000 people from around 80 countries work at ISTA in fields including mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry and biology.

In Lunz am See, the WasserCluster Lunz, founded in 2005, studies streams, rivers and lakes. Since 2016, six institutes in the humanities, social sciences and cultural studies in Lower Austria have collaborated within the Research Network for Interdisciplinary Regional Studies (first). Together, they work on cross-disciplinary projects addressing pressing social issues, including the experiences of young refugees.

Carefully redesigned by the city in partnership with the Diocese of St. Pölten, the Alumnatsgarten opened to the public in 2024. It is one of many examples of how the city and state have invested in recreational and natural spaces across urban and rural areas in recent decades.

Leisure in the city

The Alumnatsgarten has a history spanning more than 500 years. It originally formed part of the Franciscan monastery founded in the 15th century on Wiener Strasse, which later became home to the seminary and the Philosophy and Theology College of the Diocese of St. Pölten. Since then, it has undergone many changes, from wartime destruction to use as a car park.

The Alumnatsgarten – like the newly created Sturm-19 Park – is now part of a growing network of green spaces in the city centre. Together with the natural and recreational areas along the Traisental Cycle Path, around the Lower Austrian state sports school, and at the lakes in Ratzersdorf and Viehofen, it is one of a wide range of semi-natural spaces for both people and wildlife.

Nature across the state

River renaturalisation is a priority in Lower Austria, with projects under way along the Danube in the Wachau wetlands and the Marchfeld floodplains. The Danube floodplains east of Vienna have been protected as a national park since 1996.

The Vienna Woods, the largest continuous deciduous forest in Central Europe, has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2005. The Dürrenstein wilderness area, expanded to 7,000 hectares in 2021 to include the Lassing Valley, is now part of the UNESCO Natural World Heritage site and is jointly managed with Styria.

Long-distance trails such as the Wachau World Heritage Trail and Thayatalweg 630 invite people to enjoy sports in nature and explore the landscape on foot. Ski facilities in St. Corona am Wechsel have been adapted for year-round use, becoming downhill cycling trails in the warmer months.

From Europaplatz, Dr.-Karl-Renner-Promenade opens into a spacious green urban area along which stands the former synagogue. The building was devastated in 1938 and the Jewish community was driven into exile and ultimately annihilated. The restoration of the building in 1980 marked the beginning of a new culture of remembrance in Lower Austria.

Remembrance in the city

After its second renovation, completed in 2024, the former synagogue was transformed into a modern exhibition and cultural centre. The Institute for Jewish History in Austria forms its scholarly foundation. The Institute commemorates the Jewish community of St. Pölten through its virtual memorial book and, since 2018, has installed “Stones of Remembrance” for Jewish victims of National Socialism.

By 2024, the new Jewish cemetery had also been restored and remains in use. The old Jewish cemetery has been made visible once again in its original role. An art and remembrance project by Anna Artaker identifies those buried there. In 2025, gravestones bearing 238 names were placed at a previously anonymous mass grave from the Nazi period in the city’s main cemetery (Städtischer Hauptfriedhof).

Remembrance across the state

Several public art memorials have been created in St. Pölten in cooperation with Art in the Public Space (KOERNOE). Since 1988, a monument by Hans Kupelwieser in Hammerpark has commemorated murdered members of a resistance group. Stelae by Catrin Bolt – along with a 2010 postcard project by Tatiana Lecomte – recall the forced labour camps once located in the city.

Across the state, institutions and associations preserve this history, including the Melk Memorial, Museum ERLAUF ERINNERT, and Haus der Geschichte at Museum Niederösterreich.

Projects such as “Connecting Memories”, focusing on sites of Nazi forced labour, contribute to ongoing historical research. Artists exploring this legacy include Martin Krenn with his “Friedenskreuz St. Lorenz” (Peace Cross St. Lorenz).

Redesigned in 2024 in collaboration with the KinderKunstLabor, Altoonapark is a space for art, movement and encounter. Covering around 6,200 square metres, it invites people of all ages and origins to play and explore. The park is named after St. Pölten’s partner city, Altoona in Pennsylvania, USA.

Diversity

In 1986, 52,452 people lived in the new state capital; by 2024, the population had grown to around 60,000. Growth was driven in part by immigration, particularly after the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s and EU enlargement in 2004. Migration has shaped the city’s culture and economy. Today, communities across the city contribute to a diverse cultural and social life.

At the same time, the city expanded its social and support services. A family counselling centre, established in 1973, was a pioneering initiative. The city’s Büro für Diversität (Diversity Office) has provided advice, anti-discrimination support and language services since 2012. Steppenwolf youth centre offers young people a place to meet and get involved.

Social change across the state

The population of Lower Austria has grown steadily over the past 40 years, reaching around 1.7 million by early 2025, largely due to immigration. At the same time, the birth rate has remained below the death rate. The population has aged, with a growing proportion of older people bringing issues such as care and age-appropriate housing into sharper focus. Rural areas have been more affected by outmigration and ageing, while cities and the Vienna metropolitan area have continued to grow.

More people are employed today than in the 1980s, although part-time work has become more prevalent. Women account for 87 per cent of part-time workers. On average, they earn 34 per cent less than men, carry out most unpaid care work and are more at risk of poverty following separation or in older age.

A government and administrative complex was built over five years on the site of a former stadium and allotment gardens. In 1997, the state administration moved into the new government district on the Traisen. At its centre is the Office of the State Government of Lower Austria, which now employs around 3,700 people.

Economic momentum in the city

St. Pölten has seen profound economic change over recent decades. Long shaped by industry – above all the chemical company Glanzstoff – this era came to an end with the closure of its plant in 2008. Its designation as state capital marked the start of a new phase: public institutions, companies, banks and insurers established themselves in the city, which developed into a political and administrative centre. 

Now home to around 4,900 workplaces, 60,500 employees, 40,000 daily commuters and 5,500 students, St. Pölten has become a thriving business and education hub. New commercial areas reflect this successful shift. Tourism has also grown significantly, from 50,435 overnight stays in 1985 to 238,336 in 2025.

Modernisation across the state

Following the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989 and EU accession in 1995, Lower Austria’s location on the eastern border became advantageous. Exports increased significantly and many companies expanded their operations abroad. While traditional sectors such as textiles declined due to increased international competition, mechanical engineering and metal processing flourished.

Industry now accounts for around a third of economic output, while the service sector – led by trade and tourism – dominates. Established industries are being joined by digital technologies and new forms of networked work. The House of Digitalization in Tulln is one of several initiatives that support companies in overcoming digitalisation-related challenges, such as those of artificial intelligence.

Designed by Ernst Hoffmann, architect of the government district, the Klangturm (Tower of Sound) has become a landmark on the city skyline. It was conceived as a symbol of St. Pölten’s diverse cultural and music scene, which has grown steadily over the past 40 years.

Stages in the city

Since 1990, alongside the Landestheater, Bühne im Hof has been a fixture in the heart of the state capital, offering quality small-scale performances. That same year, the local council approved plans for VAZ St. Pölten, a large-scale event venue located in the south of the city, which opened in autumn 1992. In 2002, Cinema Paradiso opened on Rathausplatz as Lower Austria’s first arthouse cinema as well as a venue for cabaret and concerts. A second branch opened in Baden bei Wien in 2013.

Since 2005, Freiraum has been a publicly funded venue for youth and subcultural music. In 2014, it moved from the former slaughterhouse site to a new building in Herzogenburger Strasse. The annual Höfe and Beisl festivals have become a mainstay of the city’s cultural life.

Culture across the state

Not far from the Klangturm stands the Festspielhaus, home to the Tonkünstler Orchestra. Like many cultural institutions – including Schallaburg Exhibition Centre, Grafenegg, Museum Niederösterreich and the State Gallery of Lower Austria in Krems – it is part of the NÖKU Group, a network of around 40 cultural and scientific institutions.

Each year, festivals and concert series such as the Donaufestival and a children’s book festival in St. Pölten draw thousands of school-aged visitors to venues across the city. The 2024 Tangente St. Pölten focused on contemporary culture in an international context.

The Lower Austria State Exhibition focuses on a different region of the state each time. The 2026 edition in Amstetten-Mauer, titled “When the World Is Upside Down”, revolves around mental health.

As part of the construction of the government district, Museum Niederösterreich was relocated from Vienna to St. Pölten’s newly established cultural quarter (Kulturbezirk) in 2002. Today, it houses the Haus der Geschichte on the history of Lower Austria and the Haus für Natur, devoted to the region’s natural environment. The exhibition concludes here, where a large-scale city model traces the development of St. Pölten over the past four decades.