The Perry Road

The Mostviertel is a region named after “most”, a word in Austrian dialect that means fermented cider, in this case pear cider or perry. The part of this region completely dedicated to perry resembles a vast garden with its gently rolling hills, hundreds of thousands of gnarled pear trees and stately quadrangular farmsteads. The Mostviertel is south of the Danube in the province of Lower Austria about 100 kilometers from Vienna.

The Perry Road

The 200-kilometer-long Perry Road (called “Moststrasse” in German) winds its way through Europe’s largest contiguous area of fruit-tree cultivation. Anyone who has driven, hiked or cycled along this road and into the countryside around it comes away delighted with the scenery and the venerable rows of pear trees, the picturesque villages and the imposing quadrangular farmsteads.

Mostviertel perries

The local perries are unique in Europe. All the other fruit-growing regions on the continent tend toward rather sour-tasting ciders made from apples. Here in the Mostviertel, however, the preference is for mild, fruity ciders produced from pears. The Perry Road (“Moststrasse”) tourist route is a good place to enjoy perries. Or just to celebrate life in general.

Enjoying perry

The cozy inns and rustic perry taverns (“mostheurige”) along the Perry Road are highly recommended. But you can also sample genuine Mostviertel perry in an array of other hostelries and restaurants.

Celebrating perry

Visits to the land of the perry pear are particularly rewarding at the end of April, when the thousands of fruit trees are in full blossom. That is when the people of the Mostviertel celebrate the Spring Perry Festival. The Autumn Perry Festival extends from the end of August until November.