Lower Austria exhibition draws 100,000 visitors to region

The Lower Austria state exhibition at the Mauer hospital in the Amstetten district has welcomed 100,000 visitors, ORF reported. The exhibition, titled “When the world turns upside down: People. Psyche. Health.”, is also benefiting tourism across the Mostviertel region.

Hotels in the region have developed packages and activities to attract visitors. Hotelier Johannes Scheiblauer said he and five colleagues had created nature trails through an orchard meadow to introduce guests to the region’s natural monument, the cider pear tree.

The aim is to turn day-trippers into hotel guests. Tourism representative and restaurateur Dominik Hochholzer said the region wanted to bring exhibition visitors to local businesses and member municipalities. The Moststraße tourism association’s LEADER region includes 31 municipalities, 100 tourism businesses and regional partners.

Visitors told ORF they planned to explore the region after seeing the exhibition. Franz Holztrattner from Puch near Hallein in Salzburg had booked a multi-day wellness stay in the Mostviertel. Erich Lager from Burgschleinitz-Kühnring in the Horn district planned to visit a Heuriger, while Regina Hauser from Steyr in Upper Austria wanted to have lunch near Mauer.

The Malzwelt in Biberbach, in the Amstetten district, is another nearby attraction. It includes a malthouse and offers insights into the distillation of organic whiskies and grain spirits. Production manager Josef Farthofer said the aim was to make the process accessible and show that whisky could also come from the Mostviertel.

Visitors are also being encouraged to try regional specialities, including at Evelyn Kappl’s restaurant in Biberbach. She said the restaurant had welcomed many bus groups, whose members were consistently enthusiastic.

Projects connected with the exhibition have so far recorded more than 200,000 visitors. They include Haag Zoo in the Amstetten district, which has a pear experience centre and an indoor playground.