Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) wraps around Vienna and stretches west to the Wachau Valley and south to the Semmering alpine foothills. It is Austria's largest Bundesland by area and also its most historically layered: the Danube corridor running through the Wachau is a UNESCO World Heritage Site lined with wine terraces, cliff-top castles, and Baroque abbeys including the monumental Stift Melk above the river. Krems and Melk anchor the valley from each end, connected by a flat 35-kilometer cycling path that is one of Austria's best day rides. The state capital, Sankt Pölten, has a compact Baroque center and is accessible from Vienna in 40 minutes by train. For travelers extending a Vienna stay into the Austrian countryside, Lower Austria is the most logical and rewarding direction.