ÖSTERREICH	AUSTRIA
Bundesland: Niederösterreich	Lower Austria
Bezirk: Melk

map →

Ybbs an der Donau is situated on the right bank of the river Danube (Donau) about 1 km upstream of the mouth of the river Ybbs. Traces of settlements of the time of the Roman emperor Vespasianus. The monastery of Salzburg founded a village here in the 8th century (Ypusa). The first mentioning in a document dates from AD 863, the castle of Ybbs is first documented in 1073. Ybbs obtained the status of a town by privileges granted by King Friedrich I (the Fair) in 1311 and 1317. The freedom of the city was confirmed in 1377. From the 13th century until the 17th century iron trading was the basis for the wealth of Ybbs. The Thirty Years' War and a large fire in 1716 largely devastated the city. Another fire occurred in 1868.

The parish church Sankt Lorenz was built 1490–1512 in late Gothic style. After the fire of 1716 the west façade and the tower were erected in Baroque style (1721). The interior decoration also dates from that period. After the fire of 1868 the Baroque tower was remodeled in Neo-Gothic style.