Pochlarn is a quiet town on the Danube, but it has been famous for a long time. The Romans had a fort here called Arelape, built to guard the river and the mouth of the Erlauf, which flows in from the south. Later, in the medieval epic known as the Nibelungenlied, the town appears under the name Bechelaren, home of the margrave Rudiger, a loyal knight who is torn between his oath and his love. The region from Melk to Pochlarn is still called the Nibelungengau because of this.
More recently, Pochlarn was the birthplace of Oskar Kokoschka, the Expressionist painter, who was born here in 1886. A small museum in the town honours him with a collection of his work and memorabilia. Kokoschka became one of the leading painters of the twentieth century, known for intense portraits and bold landscapes, and he travelled and lived all over Europe. It is a pleasing detail that a town of three and a half thousand people produced him.
The Roman fort is mostly buried now, though traces have been found under the town. Archaeologists have mapped the layout, and parts of the wall have been found and recorded. The fort was part of the Danube Limes, the chain of Roman frontier posts that UNESCO listed in 2021. In summer, a quiet walk along the river path brings you past willows and reeds, with barges passing slowly.
Riding here means the B3, the old Danube road, with gentle curves and small villages, and the cycle path beside the river means you share the valley with bicycles. Melk, with its enormous baroque abbey, is a short distance upstream, and the Wachau begins beyond it. Pochlarn itself is big enough for fuel and simple meals, and the cafes on the main square are good for a coffee. Behind the town the hills rise towards the Alpine foothills, and the Kalkalpen National Park is within reach for those who want a bigger day. Early autumn is lovely here.