Bad Traunstein and Echsenbach: pioneers in family friendliness!

Bad Traunstein and Echsenbach: pioneers in family friendliness!

Good news for the communities in Lower Austria: Bad Traunstein and Echsenbach recently received important awards that underline their efforts to improve quality of life and family friendliness. Bad Traunstein was recognized as a “crisis-proof community”, while Echsenbach was awarded the certificate for family friendliness and the UNICEF additional certificate “child-friendly community”. This ceremony took place in the magnificent Zeillern Castle Hotel and was organized by the Lower Austrian Civil Protection Association. This honor emphasizes the importance of communities that provide support not only in times of peace but also in times of crisis.

As part of these awards, a total of 123 municipalities and four regions in Austria were honored on June 10, 2025. Among the awarded locations are 92 communities that also received the UNICEF additional certificate. Echsenbach has already started the certification process in 2023 familieundberuf.at reported. A comprehensive concept was developed that appeals to all generations in order to further improve living conditions in the community.

Family-friendly initiatives in Echsenbach

The highlights of the implementation in Echsenbach are promising: from the Echsenbach children's cinema to parent-child gymnastics to rest areas along the hiking trails - we are actively working to create a child- and family-friendly environment. Building on this, there are also further plans in the drawer: a planned meeting point for young people and the creation of a safe route to school are on the list of upcoming measures. These projects show how important it is to respond to the needs of all citizens, from small children to senior citizens, and to create appropriate offers.

Office manager Maria Kletzl was on site to accept the awards in Eisenstadt. According to the information from meinkreis.at The quality mark is checked by external bodies and promotes the attractiveness of the community. As a result, Echsenbach is not only perceived as worth living in, but also as an economically successful location, which benefits families with children.

Community events strengthen cohesion

Another reason to get together was the storytelling café, which took place on June 13, 2025 in Scheideldorf. Under the motto “Watzlmühle”, around 60 participants gathered to tell stories and exchange ideas. Young and old came together here across generations: from three-year-olds to 85-year-olds. The owners of the Watzlmühle, architect Gerhard Garstenauer and his daughter Gabriele, presented the impressively renovated mill and the surrounding area. Historical highlights such as an old inn and a bowling alley from 1920 were also presented.

The Göpfritz Topothek provided exciting historical stories about the Watzlmühle, and the afternoon ended with coffee and cake in the Scheideldorf parish hall. Such events contribute significantly to strengthening community cohesion and offer opportunities for entertaining encounters and making new friends.