Österreichisches Landwirtschaftsmuseum Europaschloss Leiben

About the museum

Leiben Castle rises on a rock north of Melk, at the transition from the southern Waldviertel to the Wachau. The complex goes back to a castle of the knights of Leiben from the early 12th century; the present compact building complex with corner towers, two inner courtyards and a pentagonal main courtyard was essentially built between 1617 and 1659. The painted wooden coffered ceilings in the prayer hall and the Knights' Hall, with mythological and allegorical scenes, also date from this period.

After a succession of owners, the market municipality of Leiben acquired the castle in 1989, had it renovated in keeping with its listed status and has used it for exhibitions and events ever since. In 1991 a museum for veteran tractors opened here, later operating as the Landtechnik-Museum and now called the Austrian Agricultural Museum.

In the Körnerbodentrakt (granary wing) and the vaulted cellar, the museum shows over 30 roadworthy tractors from the period 1920 to 1960, one of the largest collections of historic implement models in Austria and a display on UNRRA aid and the Marshall Plan. A separate floor houses the Austrian Scales Museum with the collection of Eduard Sykora, redesigned in 2023 together with the German Agricultural Museum. A further exhibition deals with tillage from the spade to the motorised plough and questions of world nutrition.

Highlights

• Over 30 roadworthy tractors from 1920 to 1960 in the vaulted cellar
• Austrian Scales Museum with over 1,000 scales from 70 countries
• Large collection of historic implement models (“Erfolgsmodelle”)
• Display on UNRRA aid and the Marshall Plan
• Painted wooden coffered ceilings from the 17th century
• Vintage tractor meeting every year on Easter Monday

Permanent exhibitions

• Traktorenausstellung – In the drive-in vaulted cellar stand more than 30 restored, roadworthy tractors showing the development of agricultural tractors from 1920 to 1960.
• Österreichisches Waagenmuseum – The Eduard Sykora collection shows over 1,000 scales from 70 countries and explains the history of measures and weights; it was redesigned in 2023.
• Vom Spaten zum Motorpflug – The exhibition leads from the Joseph plough to modern tillage and links the soil of Leiben with questions of global nutrition.

Founded

1991

Operated by

Schloss Leiben GmbH (Marktgemeinde Leiben)

Admission & discounts

Free admission with the Niederösterreich-CARD.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Children aged 6 to 16 pay €3; with a Familienpass, children enter free.

Getting there & parking

The castle is located north of Melk in the southern Waldviertel.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Stately castle rooms and a renovated barn in the home farm for civil weddings, celebrations, company events, seminars and concerts; own catering possible.

Plan your visit