Aschbach-Markt

Aschbach-Markt lies in the Mostviertel region of Lower Austria, ten kilometres from Amstetten. The Url river runs through the valley floor at about 300 metres above sea level, while hills rise to 400 metres to the north and a forty-metre ridge separates the village from the Ybbs valley to the south. The market sits where the Url widens, with gentle slopes on either side. Six smaller settlements belong to the municipality: Abetzberg, Aschbach-Dorf, Krenstetten, Mitterhausleiten and Oberaschbach.

The name Aschbach first appears in an 823 deed as asbahe, when the area belonged to the Roman province of Noricum. By the 13th century it had become an important parish and market under Leopold VI, duke of Austria. In 1890 workers digging a well uncovered an ancient earthwork with passages and chambers, later studied by archaeologists. By 1938 the village supported tradesmen ranging from nine innkeepers and six butchers to a copper-smith and a radio dealer. In 1971 Krenstetten and Mitterhausleiten were joined to Aschbach Markt, and the name changed the following year.

The parish church of St Martin stands at the centre of the market square. Every month from May to October the Wallfahrtskirche in Krenstetten holds a Fatima celebration on the thirteenth. Local cultural life centres on the Musica Aspacensis choir and the Aschbach and Krenstetten brass bands. The largest dairy in Austria, Berglandmilch, operates here, alongside transport and construction firms. Sports clubs offer football, tennis and volleyball, while the Url valley provides cycling and walking routes.