Klosterneuburg () is a
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
in the
Tulln District
Bezirk Tulln is a district of the state of Lower Austria in Austria.
Municipalities
Suburbs, hamlets, and other subdivisions of a municipality are indicated in .
* Absdorf
**
* Atzenbrugg
**
* Fels am Wagram
**
* Grafenwörth
**
* Großri ...
of the
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
n state of
Lower Austria
Lower Austria ( , , abbreviated LA or NÖ) is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Major cities are Amstetten, Lower Austria, Amstetten, Krems an der Donau, Wiener Neustadt and Sankt Pölten, which ...
. Frequently abbreviated to Kloburg by locals, it has a population of about 27,500. The Stift Klosterneuburg (
Klosterneuburg Monastery
Klosterneuburg Abbey () is a twelfth-century Augustinian monastery of the Catholic Church located in the town of Klosterneuburg in Lower Austria. Overlooking the Danube, just north of the present Vienna city limits at the Leopoldsberg, the monas ...
), which was established in 1114 and soon after given to the
Augustinians
Augustinians are members of several religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written about 400 A.D. by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...
, is of particular historical importance.
Geography

Klosterneuburg is located on the
Danube
The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...
, immediately north of the Austrian capital
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, from which it is separated by the
Kahlenberg
The Kahlenberg () is a hill () located in the 19th District of Vienna, Austria ( Döbling).
General
The Kahlenberg lies in the Vienna Woods and is one of the most popular destinations for day-trips from Vienna, offering a view over the entir ...
and
Leopoldsberg
The Leopoldsberg (; ) is a hill in Vienna, Austria, towering over the Danube and the city. Leopoldberg’s most prominent landmark is the church which stands at the top, and which is clearly visible from Vienna below. Construction of the Leopold ...
hills of the
Vienna Woods
The Vienna Woods (, ) are forested highlands that form the northeastern foothills of the Northern Limestone Alps in the states of Lower Austria and Vienna. The and range of hills is heavily wooded and a popular recreation area with the Viennese ...
range. It has been separated from its
twin city of
Korneuburg
Korneuburg (; Central Bavarian: ''Korneibuag'') is a town in Austria. It is located in the state Lower Austria and is the administrative center of the district of Korneuburg (district), Korneuburg. Korneuburg is situated on the left bank of the ...
on the opposite bank of the Danube since the river changed course during the
Late Middle Ages
The late Middle Ages or late medieval period was the Periodization, period of History of Europe, European history lasting from 1300 to 1500 AD. The late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period ( ...
. The towns are connected by a
reaction ferry
A reaction ferry is a cable ferry that uses the reaction of the current of a river against a fixed tether to propel the vessel across the water. Such ferries operate faster and more effectively in rivers with strong currents.
Types and modes of ...
link which runs during daylight hours from Spring to late Autumn. The municipal area comprises the northern tip of the
Donauinsel
The Donauinsel (Danube Island) is a long, narrow artificial island in central Vienna, Austria, lying between the Danube and the New Danube. The island is in length, but is only wide. It was constructed from 1972 to 1988 primarily as a measur ...
as well as the high Mt. Exelberg and its
telecommunication tower
Radio masts and towers are typically tall structures designed to support antennas for telecommunications and broadcasting, including television. There are two main types: guyed and self-supporting structures. They are among the tallest human-m ...
.
On the site of a former
pioneer
Pioneer commonly refers to a person who is among the first at something that is new to a community.
A pioneer as a settler is among the first settling at a place that is new to the settler community. A historic example are American pioneers, perso ...
school of the Austrian Army
Austrian Bundesheer
The Austrian Armed Forces () are the combined military forces of Austria.
The military consists of 16,000 active-duty personnel and 125,600 reservists. The military budget is 1.0% of national GDP (including pensions) or €3.317 billion (20 ...
are a variety of buildings
due to be developed into a 12-hectare new town quarter by 2030. Klosterneuburg is also the centre of a
wine growing
Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ...
area, with several esteemed vintners, numerous ''
Heuriger
In eastern Austria, a ''Heuriger'' (; Austrian dialect pronunciation: Heiriga, Hungarian language, Hungarian: Kurta kocsma) is a tavern where local winemakers serve their new wine under a special licence in alternating months during the growing ...
'' wine taverns and the Federal Institute for Viticulture and Pomology
Weinbauschule, where
Fritz Zweigelt
Friedrich (Fritz) Zweigelt (born 13 January 1888 in Hitzendorf near Graz, died 18 September 1964 in Graz) was an Austrian entomologist and phytologist. Zweigelt was one of the most influential and internationally renowned figures in Austrian vin ...
bred the
Zweigelt
The Zweigelt (), also known as Rotburger, is an Austrian hybrid grape variety created in 1922 by Friedrich Zweigelt (1888–1964), who later became Director of the Federal Institute and Experimental Station of Viticulture, Fruit Production and ...
and
Blauburger
Blauburger is a red wine grape variety that is grown a little in Austria, Czech Republic and Hungary. It should not be confused with ''Blauburgunder'', which is an Austrian synonym for Pinot noir.
History
Blauburger is a cross between Blauer Por ...
red wine grapes.
Due to its hilly location, Klosterneuburg consists of several geographical areas within the
cadastral communities of Klosterneuburg-Stadt,
Maria Gugging
Maria Gugging is a suburb of the town of Klosterneuburg
Klosterneuburg () is a town in the Tulln District of the Austrian state of Lower Austria. Frequently abbreviated to Kloburg by locals, it has a population of about 27,500. The Stift Klost ...
, , , , , and . Its town centre has two main shopping areas - the Stadtplatz/Niedermarkt and the Rathausplatz - which are separated by a steep hill.
The town is tightly linked to the Austrian capital and is thought to be home to some of Lower Austria's most affluent citizens . It has direct access to Vienna via the ''Klosterneuburger Straße'' highway (B14), the
Vienna S-Bahn
The Vienna S-Bahn is a suburban commuter rail network in Vienna, Austria. As opposed to the city-run urban metro network, the Vienna U-Bahn, it extends beyond the borders of the city, is operated by the Austrian Federal Railways, ÖBB (Austria ...
network running on the
Emperor Franz Joseph Railway
The Emperor Franz Joseph Railway (German: ''Kaiser-Franz-Josephs-Bahn'', KFJB) was an Austrian private railway company, named after Emperor Franz Joseph I. It operated railway lines from the Austrian capital Vienna to Prague and Eger (Cheb) in B ...
line (S40) from
Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof to
Tulln
Tulln an der Donau () is a historic town in the Austrian state of Lower Austria, the administrative seat of Tulln District. Because of its abundance of parks and gardens, Tulln is often referred to as ''Blumenstadt'' ("City of Flowers"), and "The ...
, and along the
EV6 The Rivers cycle route. The town is the site of
light industry
Light industry are Industry (economics), industries that usually are less Capital intensity, capital-intensive than heavy industry, heavy industries and are more consumer-oriented than business-oriented, as they typically produce smaller consum ...
and, while not belonging to Vienna, has almost the feel of a
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
. From 1938 to 1954, indeed, Klosterneuburg was designated as Vienna's 26th district and in more recent times, it has been suggested that Klosterneuburg should become part of Vienna once more. The
Albertina Klosterneuburg and the
Institute of Science and Technology Austria
The Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) is an international research institute in natural and formal sciences, located in Maria Gugging, Klosterneuburg, 20 km northwest of the Austrian capital of Vienna. It was established an ...
, established in 2006, are located in the town.
History
Archaeological findings denote a settlement of the area already during the
Neolithic
The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
period. In the
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of Roman civilization
*Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
era (1st to 5th centuries), a fort of the Danubian ''
limes
Limes may refer to:
* ''Limes'' (Roman Empire), a border marker and defense system of the Roman Empire
* ''Limes'' (Italian magazine), an Italian geopolitical magazine
* ''Limes'' (Romanian magazine), a Romanian literary and political quarterly ma ...
'' stood at the site of Klosterneuburg on the northwestern border of the
Pannonia
Pannonia (, ) was a Roman province, province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, on the west by Noricum and upper Roman Italy, Italy, and on the southward by Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia and upper Moesia. It ...
. After
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...
had defeated the
Avars, a
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty ( ; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charles Martel and his grandson Charlemagne, descendants of the Arnulfing and Pippinid c ...
settlement in the newly established
Avar March
The Avar March (; ) was a southeastern frontier province of the Frankish Empire, established after successful Frankish campaigns and conquests of Avarian territories along the river Danube, to the east from the river Enns, in what is today Lo ...
recorded as ''Omundesdorf'' may correspond to the site of the town. Klosterneuburg itself was first mentioned as ''Nivvenburc'' (Neuburg, "New Castle") in an 1108 deed.

In 1113 it became the residence
fter Melk">Melk.html" ;"title="fter Melk">fter Melkof the House of Babenberg">Babenberg
The House of Babenberg was a noble dynasty of Austrian Dukes and Margraves. Descending from the Popponids and originally from Bamberg in the Duchy of Franconia (present-day Bavaria), the Babenbergs ruled the imperial Margraviate of Austria fr ...
. In 1114 Leopold, son-in-law of the