Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
about 1 month ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
about 1 month ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
about 1 month ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
about 1 month ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Austria Zwentendorf Zwentendorf Nuclear Power Plant

Zwentendorf Nuclear Power Plant

Austria's very first and only nuclear power station was completed but never used.

Zwentendorf, Austria

Added By
ThomasSchneider62
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Zwentendorf Nuclear Power Plant   Wolf-Ulf Wulfrolf on Flickr
Zwentendorf Nuclear Power Plant   Wolf-Ulf Wulfrolf on Flickr
Zwentendorf Nuclear Power Plant   nnnina78 on Flickr
Zwentendorf Nuclear Power Plant   fhSPACE on Flickr
Zwentendorf Nuclear Power Plant   IAEA Imagebank on Flickr
  FraeuleinS / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

For a brief moment in the 1970s, it looked like the future of Austria's power production was going to be in a handful of massive nuclear plants, before the entire vision was put down by a massive public outcry. However before the people could vote down their nuclear future, one plant was completely finished, they just never turned it on.

Completed in mid-to-late 1970s, the plant in Zwentendorf cost around a billion euro to complete. The tall, monolithic building was outfitted with a modern-at-the-time boiling water reactor complete with a huge chimney tower scraping the sky next to the central building. The facility was even outfitted with the dangerous radioactive nuclear rods, all it needed was the go-ahead to turn the lights on. Then the public had their say.

The Zwentendorf facility was just the first of a number of planned nuclear plants in the country, but anti-nuclear sentiment exploded during its construction. In a referendum passed in 1978, the Austrian people voted by a margin just over 50% to ban all nuclear power plants. And with that, the new plant was dead in the water.

Since the law was passed, the Zwentendorf plant was partially dismantled and the facility was used as a sort of spare parts warehouse for other compatible plants in Germany. In addition, the space has been used for film shooting and security training. However more than anything, the massive empty complex stands as a reminder of a pivotal moment in the country's history.

Related Tags

Nuclear Abandoned Industrial Politics

Know Before You Go

There are limited tickets for free guided tours every Friday.

Community Contributors

Added By

ThomasSchneider62

Edited By

FraeuleinS, Blindcolour, EricGrundhauser

  • FraeuleinS
  • Blindcolour
  • EricGrundhauser

Published

December 8, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwentendorf_Nuclear_Power_Plant
Zwentendorf Nuclear Power Plant
Sonnenweg
Zwentendorf, 3435
Austria
48.3544, 15.8847
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Cemetery Library

Krems an der Donau, Austria

miles away

Mozarts Pinkelstein (Mozart's Pee Stone)

Raschala, Austria

miles away

Gugging House of Artists

Klosterneuburg, Austria

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Austria

Austria

Europe

Places 146
Stories 13

Nearby Places

The Cemetery Library

Krems an der Donau, Austria

miles away

Mozarts Pinkelstein (Mozart's Pee Stone)

Raschala, Austria

miles away

Gugging House of Artists

Klosterneuburg, Austria

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Austria

Austria

Europe

Places 146
Stories 13

Related Places

  • One of the large factory floors.

    Prypiat, Ukraine

    Jupiter Radiotechnology Factory

    A huge Soviet-era robotics factory in the outskirts of Prypiat, now long-abandoned.

  • Guignard Brick Works

    Cayce, South Carolina

    Guignard Brick Works

    A handful of beehive kilns are all that’s left of a historic brick-making empire.

  • Entrance via Priesterweg station.

    Berlin, Germany

    Natur-Park Südgelände

    Art installations, derelict railcars, and endangered grasshoppers all call this south Berlin park home.

  • The ruins looking north

    Germantown, Maryland

    Ruins of Clopper Mill

    The hidden ruins of a mill that is linked to an attempt to assassinate the vice president of the United States.

  • The abandoned La Siberia cement factory and company town.

    La Calera, Colombia

    La Siberia

    An abandoned company town and cement factory outside of Bogotá, now haunted by ghosts and scofflaws.

  • Aldridge Sawmill.

    Zavalla, Texas

    Aldridge Sawmill

    The 19th-century ruins hide deep in an overgrown forest.

  • The main building where customs was located.

    Marvão, Portugal

    Porto Roque Border Post

    An abandoned anti-smuggling station decays along the boundary between Portugal and Spain.

  • Ussana, Italy

    Abandoned Ussana Brick Factory

    An eerie gravel road full of shards of red bricks leads to the ruins of a deserted factory.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.