Bad Traunstein and Ezsenbach: Pioneers in family friendliness!

Bad Traunstein and Ezsenbach: Pioneers in family friendliness!

A gratifying news for the municipalities in Lower Austria: Bad Traunstein and Echsenbach have recently received significant awards that underline their efforts to quality and family friendliness. Bad Traunstein was recognized as a "crisis-proof community", while Echsenbach received the certificate for family friendliness and the UNICEF supplementary certificate "Child-friendly community". This ceremony took place in the magnificent Castle Hotel Zeillern and was organized by the Lower Austrian Civil Protection Association. This honor emphasizes the importance of communities that offer support not only in peaceful times, but also in crisis situations.

As part of these awards, a total of 123 municipalities and four regions in Austria were honored on June 10, 2025. Among the excellent places are 92 municipalities that have also received the UNICEF supplementary certificate. Echsenbach launched the certification process in 2023, as reported Familienundberuf.at . A comprehensive concept was developed here that appeals to all generations to further improve living conditions in the community.

family -friendly initiatives in Echsenbach

The highlights of implementation in Echsenbach are promising: from the Echsenbacher children's cinema to parent-child gymnastics to rest areas along the hiking trails-here is actively working on a child and family-friendly environment. Building on this, there are also other plans in the drawer: a planned meeting point for young people and the creation of a safe way 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 toddler to seniors, and to create corresponding offers.

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

Community events strengthen the cohesion

Another occasion to get together was the narrative café, which took place on June 13, 2025 in Scheideldorf. Under the motto "Watzlmühle", around 60 participants gathered to tell stories together and to exchange ideas. This is where young and old came together 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 associated area. Historical highlights such as an old tavern and a bowling alley from 1920 were also presented.

The topotheque Göpfritz provided exciting historical stories to the Watzlmühle, and the afternoon was decided with coffee and cake in the parish home Scheideldorf. Such events make a significant contribution to strengthening the cohesion in the community and offering opportunities for entertaining encounters and making new friendships.