Sights in Pölla

Pölla is in northern Lower Austria, in the densely forested region known as the Waldviertel. The market town covers an area of more than one hundred square kilometres, almost half of which is covered by forests. Numerous cadastral communities belong to the municipal area, some of them lying partly or entirely within the nearby Allentsteig military training area.

The name Pölla goes back to a Slavic term and means something like “people in the plain.” Altpölla is among the oldest settlements in the region; its parish was probably founded in the 11th century. Neupölla is first mentioned in the 13th century and later received market rights. Over the course of history the place was the scene of important events, such as the gathering of two armies before the Battle of White Mountain. During the Nazi era parts of the surrounding area lost their settlements when villages were cleared for the military training ground. In 1968 the present-day municipality was formed from several former localities.

Pölla preserves traces of its past in buildings such as the ruins of Dobra Castle or Waldreichs Palace. In Neupölla the Museum of Everyday History invites visitors, while the Teufelskirche in Wetzlas is regarded as a special natural monument. Figures such as the father of Adolf Hitler or the Paralympic athlete Claudia Lösch are associated with the place. The municipality is part of the Kampseen small region and thus maintains links with its surrounding landscape.