Puchberg am Schneeberg is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in the south-eastern part of

Lower Austria Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Since 1986, the capital of Lower Austria has been Sankt P ...

with approximately 2650 inhabitants. It is situated about 80 Kilometres from

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. The highest point of Puchberg is the Schneeberg with 2076 m, the highest mountain of Lower Austria. Already in the 18th and the 19th centuries, Puchberg was a popular destination for visitors. With the opening of the

Schneeberg Railway The Schneeberg Railway (german: Schneebergbahn) is a local railway line in Lower Austria running from Wiener Neustadt to the Hochschneeberg mountain. From Wiener Neustadt to Puchberg am Schneeberg it runs as a standard gauge, adhesion railw ...

, tourism became more important than farming, which traditionally had been the primary source of revenue. The spa is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Lower Austria.

History

About its early history, little is known. A Roman road, on which grains, wine and salt were transported, passed through the area. The name ''Puchberg'' was first mentioned in 1260 in reference to ''Eberhard von Puchperch''.Rainmund Rhomberg, Andreas Bichler in: ''Burgruine Puchberg am Schneeberg – Bauhistorische Analyse und Sanierung'', Burgverein Puchberg, Puchberg, 2006, In the Middle Ages four castles were built near Puchberg, including Puchberg Castle, of which only ruins remain. The village was destroyed in 1683 by Ottoman forces at the time of the Battle of Vienna. With the opening of the railway from Wiener Neustadt and the rack railway to the Schneeberg in 1897, tourism became important. The region became a resort area for the Viennese upper classes seeking to escape the city in summer, and it still serves as a nature retreat today.

Subdivisions

*Puchberg am Schneeberg *Rohrbachgraben *Stolzenwörth

Sites of interest

* Puchberg Castle - the castle which was built around 1204. Its age was determined on the basis dendrochronological investigations at wooden remainders. *School - where the philosopher

Ludwig Wittgenstein Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein ( ; ; 26 April 1889 – 29 April 1951) was an Austrian-British philosopher who worked primarily in logic, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of language. He is con ...

was an elementary school teacher * Schneeberg, the highest mountain in Niederosterreich, accessible with the Schneeberg rack railway. Schneeberg is also the site of the

Empress Elisabeth Memorial Church Empress Elisabeth Memorial Church (German: ''Kaiserin-Elisabeth-Gedächtniskirche'') is a small Roman Catholic church on the Schneeberg in Lower Austria. It is close to the mountain station of the Schneebergbahn. The memorial church belongs to t ...

, built in the memory of the Empress Elisabeth. * The lake - The heart of Puchberg's downtown is occupied by a lake surrounded by a path and landscaped flowers and plants. There is also an outdoor stage. * Two spas

Image gallery

Image:Puchberg am Schneeberg-view.jpg, View to mountain '' Schneeberg'' File:Puchberg vom Schneeberg 16.JPG, Puchberg, seen from the Schneeberg Image:Puchberg am Schneeberg - pool.jpg, Lake of Puchberg am Schneeberg Image:Puchberg am Schneeberg-railwaystation.jpg, Railway station of Puchberg am Schneeberg Image:Schneeberg station and church.jpg, Elisabeth church and

station on Schneeberg

References

{{authority control Cities and towns in Neunkirchen District, Austria Rax-Schneeberg Group