Weinviertler cellar lanes – villages minus the chimneys!

In almost all of the communities in the Weinviertel, the pressing houses are grouped in little encampments. These mini-villages are the perfect places to discover the finished product.

The majority of the 1,100 cellar lanes in Lower Austria are located in the Weinviertel. While the pressing houses that line them were once used to make and store wine, today they are playing a new role as cellar lane festival venues and stars of cellar tours.

Cellar lanes are one of the Weinviertel’s cultural highlights. These historic features have been part of the look and feel of the Weinviertel and its landscape for many years. The wine cellars that line these picturesque lanes were once used as simple storage and production facilities. Today, most of the wine is produced on the estates by the growers themselves, but the cellar lanes have remained, coming to life on special occasions.

Socialising with a capital S! Cellar lane festivals

In times gone by, the daily trip to the wine cellar was part and parcel of any winegrower’s routine. A distinctive culture grew up around the cellars and pressing houses which was shaped by the camaraderie of sitting down with friends to enjoy a good meal and fine wine – as well as singing and celebrations. The tradition of socialising in cellar lanes is still going strong to this day. Numerous cellar lane and wine festivals provide the perfect opportunity to get together and savour regional delicacies and premium wines from the Weinviertel.

Cellar lane tours

If you would like to find out more about the rich history of the region’s cellar lanes, and take a glimpse behind the scenes in the labyrinthine vaults beneath the pressing houses, we recommend a cellar lane tour. Accredited cellar lane tour guides will share some of the secrets behind these fascinating spaces.