Braunau am Inn offers an introduction to the city’s history and cultural routes; in the district, the landscape along the Inn adds to the picture. Planning can therefore focus both on specific historic destinations and on outdoor activities.
City Routes and Public Art
The city discovery trail leads to original historic sites in the old town and is marked by eight pylons. The Braunau am Inn sculpture trail takes a different approach: its eight steel sculptures were created for Braunau am Inn in 2023 as part of a sculptors’ symposium. The trail runs from Palmplatz via Malerwinkel to the city walls. This offers two different ways to explore the city: a walk to historic sites and a route featuring contemporary sculptures.
The Wassertor (Water Gate) leads to the banks of the Inn and the mighty walls of the city’s former fortifications. Here, access to the river meets a remnant of the former defenses—an additional point of interest for anyone interested in the city’s historic layout.
Museums and History
The Historic Vorderbad Bathhouse has been open to the public as a museum since November 2004. Light panels, projections, and audio stations present information about medieval bathing, various healing practices, life in the city, and archaeological finds. A visit thus combines everyday history and archaeological topics rather than focusing on just one aspect of bathing.
The Herzogsburg District Museum documents the long and eventful history of the city of Braunau am Inn and the district. Its art and culture span the period from prehistory to the present. Exhibits include the Hallstatt-period gold neck ring from Uttendorf and other archaeological objects, including a rare clay beaked jug. These examples show how a broad historical overview can be combined with specific collection pieces that can be identified in greater detail.
The Franz Xaver Gruber Memorial House presents the rural living and working environment of the period, as well as information about the composer’s life and the creation of “Silent Night, Holy Night.” It is housed in a wooden building more than 200 years old, whose style, form, and design match Gruber’s birthplace. Among other things, the loom at which he learned to weave can be seen in the house. Architecture, everyday history, and music history come together here.
Buildings and Places of Remembrance
The parish church of St. Pankratius in Ranshofen and the monastery were renovated in the Baroque style in 1699 to mark the 800th anniversary of their founding. The church’s six side altars are adorned with elaborate acanthus decorations, known as the “Acanthus Arcade.” When looking at the furnishings, it is worth remembering this distinctive name as well as the building’s history.
The parish church of St. Radegund is a Gothic church consecrated by Bishop Englamar of Chiemsee in 1422. Since 2016, it has contained relics of Franz Jägerstätter, who was beatified in 2007. The Jägerstätter House, at the former home and workplace of Franz and Franziska Jägerstätter, serves both as a museum and a memorial site. Visits and guided tours are available by prior arrangement; check in advance if you plan to visit.
The Franz Jägerstätter Trail, about 1.5 kilometers long, partly follows the route Franz Jägerstätter walked to church every day and passes a peace memorial. Its approximate length and connection to the historic route give the walk a different character from a museum visit; no walking time is specified.
In the nearby village of Hochburg-Ach, the Franz Xaver Gruber Peace Trail also follows a circular route with seven elements in total. It offers another thematic connection to Gruber’s life, without being confused with a walk through the old town.
Out and About Along the Inn
The landscape along the Inn in the Braunau am Inn district is used by locals and tourists for cycling, hiking, and water sports. The cycling routes described vary considerably in length and character, offering different options for planning: the R203 Explorer Cycle Tour is a 180-kilometer loop. It starts in Braunau am Inn, passes through the Ibmer Moor, and returns to Braunau via the Tauern Cycle Path. About 90 percent of the route runs on paved paths, and about 70 percent on minor roads. These surface details may change when routes are updated; check them before setting out on a specific tour.
The Inn Cycle Path runs along level terrain throughout the Innviertel, passes through floodplain landscapes, and is therefore also suitable for families. It can be reached by train via Braunau am Inn. The R203 and the Inn Cycle Path thus offer different points of reference when choosing a route: the R203 is described as a long loop with details about its surfaces, while the Inn Cycle Path is characterized by its level terrain, floodplain landscape, and a rail travel option.
Discover more destinations: Polling im Innkreis, Hochburg, Franking, Haigermoos, Braunau am Inn, Helpfau-Uttendorf, Sankt Radegund, Altheim, Mauerkirchen, Aspach, Lochen, Aufhausen, Gilgenberg am Weilhart, Wimpassing, Lengau, Sankt Pantaleon, Tarsdorf, Eggelsberg, Geretsberg, Ach, Höhnhart, Maria Schmolln, Mattighofen, Mining, Moosdorf, Ostermiething, Roßbach, Sankt Veit im Innkreis, Kirchberg bei Mattighofen, Auerbach, Burgkirchen, Feldkirchen bei Mattighofen, Handenberg, Jeging, Moosbach, Munderfing, Neukirchen an der Enknach, Palting, Perwang am Grabensee, Pfaffstätt, Pischelsdorf am Engelbach, Schalchen, Schwand im Innkreis, Sankt Georgen am Fillmannsbach, Sankt Johann am Walde, Sankt Peter am Hart, Treubach, Überackern, Weng im Innkreis, Lehrsberg, Hagenau and Friedburg.
For the higher-level travel overview: Upper Austria.
