The best city hikes and walks in Frauenau

Lovingly restored, the crenellated wall projection is presented in all its glory, and interactive exhibits offer a vivid glimpse into the city's history. A path and staircase lead to the top of the city wall.

Once likely situated at the boundary between the original town layout and the first town expansion dating from before 1230, the so-called "Moser Tower" is now integrated into the house at Schulgasse 10. The three-story defensive tower has a ground plan in the shape of an outwardly curved triangle, resembling the prow of a ship. The masonry of the tower and that of the town wall in this area dates from the second half of the 13th century and is thus among the oldest surviving parts of Zwettl's town fortifications. In the early 17th century, it was called the Water Tower, probably because of the large town pond that at that time stretched from its base to the dam, today's Gartenstraße. The currently used name derives from the Moser family, who owned the tower and the adjacent house from 1870 to 1961.

The three bells originally located in the church tower, dating from 1779, 1818, and 1881, had fallen victim to the wars. To mark the 700th anniversary of the Zwettl Citizens' Hospital Foundation – now called "Zwettl Citizens' Foundation - St. Martin's Senior Center" – three new bells were acquired in 1998 and installed in the bell chamber of St. Martin's Church tower, which had been empty for over 50 years.

The old civic hospital, which was located outside the city gate before 1295, was one of the oldest in the region. In 1427, during their unsuccessful siege of the city, the Hussites destroyed the hospital and the adjoining St. Martin's Chapel. The new civic hospital was built on land acquired by the citizens of Zwettl in 1438 near the New Market and opened in 1448. The newly built hospital church was placed under the patronage of St. Martin. Gothic stonework can still be seen in the church today: the portal to the sacristy, the sedentary niche, and the square tabernacle. A late Gothic Madonna and Child standing on a crescent moon was restored in 1995 by Ralf Wittig from Zwettl and installed in the apse above the altar.

The municipal authorities succeeded in winning over Master Hundertwasser to plan and build a fountain system in the main square. The presentation of the fountain model met with great approval from the people of Zwettl, but also with vehement rejection. In 1994, the fountain system, consisting of three main elements – the two fountain columns with collecting basins and the pavilion – was handed over to the public. It has since been a popular meeting point in the heart of the city. Friedensreich Hundertwasser died in February 2000 at the age of 71.

Until the end of the 19th century, a monumental public fountain stood in the middle of the main square, the terminus of the oldest Zwettl water pipeline dating back to the early 17th century; a place where the population met, not just to fetch water. In 1925, a war memorial was erected here, and from the mid-20th century onwards, the square in the heart of the city was primarily used as a parking area. In the early 1990s, the municipality of Zwettl decided to redesign the main square. The aim was to give the city an attractive center again and thus preserve the tradition of the old Zwettl main square for the present and the future. Friedensreich Hundertwasser, born Friedrich Stowasser in 1928, had owned an old mill on the banks of the Kamp river above Zwettl since the 1970s.

The Anton Tower, a fortified tower dating from the 15th century and located at the northwest corner of the former fortifications, has become a landmark of the city. It derives its name from the family name of the owners on whose property it stands. The tower stands on exposed rock above the Zwettl Valley, has an irregular octagonal floor plan, and appears rather graceful despite its walls being up to two and a half meters thick. Interestingly, the wall thickness in all stories of the Anton Tower is significantly less on the city-facing side than on the outer sections of the tower.

A statue of John of Nepomuk with an alms box stood at the Syrnau Bridge at least as early as 1743. It was likely destroyed in the great fire of 1772. A chapel was built in 1773, which was remodeled in 1783 and constructed as a hexagonal rubble stone building. Originally, the chapel, dedicated to the bridge's patron saint, John of Nepomuk, stood directly next to the Kamp Bridge. However, during the creation of Syrnau Square in the 19th century, this bridge was moved upstream. Until 1975, the St. John's Chapel served as a mortuary chapel. Today, it houses plaques bearing the names of Zwettl soldiers who fell in both World Wars. These plaques, together with the bronze statue of a soldier of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy located in the square next to the chapel, form the Zwettl Memorial to the Fallen of Both World Wars. The bronze statue of the soldier was designed in 1925 by the Zwettl artist Leander Hofmann.