The best city hikes and walks in the Waldviertel

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.

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 local authorities succeeded in persuading the master artist Hundertwasser to design and construct a fountain in the main square. The presentation of the fountain model met with both widespread approval and vehement opposition from the residents of Zwettl. In 1994, the fountain, consisting of three main elements—the two fountain columns with basins and the pavilion—was unveiled to the public. Since then, it has been a popular meeting place in the heart of the town. Friedensreich Hundertwasser died in February 2000 at the age of 71.

Until the end of the 19th century, a monumental fountain stood in the middle of the main square, the terminus of Zwettl's oldest water supply system, dating back to the early 17th century; a place where the population gathered, not just to fetch water. A war memorial was erected here in 1925, and from the mid-20th century onward, the square in the heart of the town was primarily used as a park. In the early 1990s, the municipality of Zwettl decided to redesign the main square. The aim was to give the town an attractive central point once again and thus preserve the tradition of the old Zwettl main square for the present and 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.

During the Baroque period, people everywhere were eager to express their gratitude for overcoming the plague years and the Turkish Wars by erecting plague or Trinity columns. In 1727, the pillory in the upper square was replaced by the richly sculpted sandstone column created by Kaspar Högl of Eggenburg. During the last renovation in 1998, extensive environmental damage to the figures was repaired, and the entire column was painted a light yellow. The four life-size statues are, in the center at the front, the Immaculate Conception; to her left, St. Sebastian (pierced by five arrows); to her right, St. Roch (pointing to the plague boil on his thigh); and St. Florian (holding a flag in one hand and a bucket of water in the other). The iron fountain in the immediate vicinity of the Trinity Column is a gift from the then-mayor, Eugen Beck, of the twin town of Plochingen near Stuttgart.

In the immediate vicinity of the former Upper Gate and the city tower were two freeholds, properties that enjoyed the privilege of being exempt from all taxes and duties—except those payable to the Estates—as long as the respective property remained in private hands. While the freehold at Landstraße 62 was demolished towards the end of the 19th century, and the so-called "Jubilee House" was built on this plot in 1898, the Pernerstorferhof (Landstraße 65) was preserved as an interesting old building. The originally single-story, barrel-vaulted core of this building dates back to the 13th century. The courtyard features arcades from various construction phases. In the 18th century, the facade of the house was renovated, and the attractive sun gate also dates from the Baroque period. In 1801, the building passed into private hands and thus lost its freehold privileges. In 1984, the facade of the Pernerstorferhof was restored by its