Sankt Pölten (13th June 2014)

Sankt Pölten, capital of Lower Austria, the northeastern and largest state of Austria. Not sure if I've mentioned it previously, but I made a decision to travel to as many of the state capitals of Austria just to see as much of Austria as possible. Every capital is different from the other, some more special and unique with iconic architecture while there are others which don't have much that stands out. Sankt Pölten belongs to the latter category.

Although it is considered a city with hardly any touristic interest, it's conveniently located near Wien and the surrounding lakes are worth a visit just to relax.

The album cover features the Sankt Pölten Baroque Cathedral, which used to be a Romanesque basilica.

(13th June 2014)

Taken from the Rathaus, which also serves as the Tourist Information Office: the Franziskanerkirche in the background with the Trinity Column in the middle of Rathausplatz.

The Sankt Pölten Rathaus (Town Hall). Not sure which building is symbol of Sankt Pölten's old town, but I suppose this could be it?

The Ehemalige Synagogue, a former synagogue, if what I heard from the people around is true. It is the only Jugenstil synagogue in Lower Austria. According to them, it is now a memorial that commemorates the vibrant Jewish community here.

That's it for the architecture from the olden days, although the synagogue is not exactly that old since it was built in 1913. Anyway...

After a stroll through the many parks around the area, I finally found the symbol the city, the Klangturm (Tower of Sound)! Oh, and this is also the Landhaus (Government) and cultural district where all the modern architecture is located.

So, welcome to the modern sector of Sankt Pölten!

The Festspielhaus St. Pölten. The Festival Theatre in Sankt Pölten is regularly used for music theatre and dance performances since its opening in 1997. It is the residency of the Tonkünstlerorchester Niederöstereich (Orchestra of Lower Austria).

Located just adjacent to the Festspielhaus is the Landesmuseum Niederöstereich (State Museum of Lower Austria). It's a multimedia museum, so its as modern as the district suggests.

After baking for far too long in the sun, I needed some shade and a rest so I retreated to the Hammerpark nearby. Nothing too special here other than 2 little kids having fun at the playground. Reminds me of the good old days...

Der Klangturm und das Landhaus (Government Quarters) with the Traisen River in the background. Apparently, there was some sort of flooding here in 1997 when the water levels of the Traisen rose. Wonder where the government fled to then?

Along Wiener Straße and looking back at the bridge along Niederöstereichring with the Landhaus and the Klangturm.

Sankt Pölten may be the capital of Lower Austria, but unlike most European cities, it seems like the old town has been neglected, which is perhaps the reason why it doesn't have much touristic interest. Still, the modern architecture around the city are all rather impressive. Honestly, I'm more impressed with the Hauptbahnhof building then the buildings in the old town. I seem to remember going back to Graz after this to get ready to support Netherlands against Spain. We all know what happened after...

Roaring like a Dutch lion after the 5-1 win over Spain!