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Excursions

You will be captivated by the idyllic setting of the campsite in Waldenstein. But that you will not miss the beauty of the Waldviertel, we recommend to make some excursions.

Places of excursions comprise cultural, sportive, health or natural ones as well as manufactural and technical destinations. A helpful directory can be found on the page of the Waldviertel Tourism.

To make selection easier, we would like to recommend you some of the destinations. We are convinced that you will discover your favourites. The Waldviertel will astonish you with its variety.

If you plan a longer stay in the Waldviertel, please consider to buy a NÖ Card. This card allows you plenty of free entrances in Lower Austria. You can buy this card in all branches of Raiffeisen banks or tobacconists and online.

Our recommendations

If you plan to come to the Waldviertel with children, the youth will insist on their interests. Please find here some ideas, which will please your children. If you look for the next playground for your children - you will find it next to the village centre of Waldenstein.

UnterWasserReich

Maybe you would like to learn more about the unique Waldviertel landscape with ponds and bogs, we recommend to visit the UnterWasserReich in Schrems. This is the visitor centre at the gateway of the nature park Hochmoor Schrems. You will experience an interesting indoor exhibition accompianed by an outdoor water-garden including the European otter compound. Here you can watch the feeding of otters and various hands-on museum displays.

Afterwards you can walk through the nature park Hochmoor Schrems, climb up the 20m high Himmelsleiter or take a swim in the free accessible Moorbad (pond with water coming from the high bog).

Nature park Blockheide Gmünd

The nature park Blockheide shows you a diversified moorland with a special attraction - "wobbling stones". These huge granite boulders look like thrown by a giant into the landscape. Some of them can be moved by human power only. And all other granite boulders, which do not move that easy, can be used for climbing. The 15th meridian East of Greenwich leads directly through the nature park.

Some learning paths, which are also suited for children, give interesting background about the details of the nature. In the middle of the park you can climb up the watch tower to view the landscape from above. Next to the watch tower a small moutain hut offers some drinks and food. And if you prefer some extra walk, we recommend to explore the oldest natural monument of the county - the Malerwinkel. Within this beautiful river landscape you can take nice pictures while your children look for climbing challenges.

Sonnenwelt

If the weather is not very attractive for outdoor activities, a visit at the Sonnenwelt will be a perfect alternative. This hands-on exhibition will show you the energy development of human being from the stone-age over the Ancient Egyptians and Romans through to high-tech "made in Austria" to an outlook into the future . On the way through the exhibition you will not only get practical tips for your own house, but you can also prove your knowledge and test your skills in challenging games!

Outside the Sonnenwelt a nice playground for children is arranged. Or you can also visit the playground next to the BETZ or elementary school in Großschönau.

Sonnseitnhof

The organic farm Sonnseitnhof invites visitors to get in touch with alpacas. By a tour you will learn interesting details about these animals, you can watch them on the pasture or pet them. If you like, you can also book a trekking walk with some selected animals. Also the other farm animals - horses and pigs - will be pleased about your visit.

 

 

Waldviertler Spielewelt

In case you experience some rainy days in a row and your children would like to experience something else than jumping in  puddles, you can try the Waldviertler Spielewelt in Hoheneich.

 

 

1st Waldviertel children's workshop

Children from 4 years of age can try various handicrafts like dripping chandles or making soaps at the 1. Waldviertler Kinderwerkstatt.

We like to present all our all athletic guests some interesting activities. According to your personal preference, weather and motivation you can do your favourite sport.

 

 

Swimming in Summer time

When the sun shines and the temperature rises, various waters invite for swimming. Here you can find a selection of beautiful, refreshing bathing areas.

Swimming pond at the graduation house

The small swimming pond in front of the graduation house directly at the campside is our daily favourite. Here you can have a swim  through the whole day or night.

Albrecht pond

Only one kilometre away you can find the Albrechts pond. From the little pier you can swim to the wooden float and back.

Mitterteich at Hoheneich

Only 10 km away you can find the  Mitterteich in the middle of a forest. If you are on a bike tour, you will love a refreshing bath at the Mitterteich. But not only the water will refresh you body, also the little snack bar will revitalise you, so that you can turn back easily.

Strandbad Gmünd - lido

For all of you, you associate water with sand, the Strandbad Gmünd is a must. This pond with a sandy beach brings some Mediterranean flair into the Waldviertel. 

Moorbad Schrems

The natural pond at the Moorbad Schrems with its dark water flowing directly from the raised bog offers another special swimming place. A small tip: Please do not take your best white towels with you :-)

 

Golf taster day

If you have always wanted to try golf, but you were scared by the hurdles, then you can do this during your holidays in the Waldviertel.

The golf course in Haugschlag offers packages for real beginners to get a first impression of golf. From 2 persons on you can book a course, which shows you the basic rules and your first game on 18-hole golf course.

Also the golf courses  Herrensee and Thayatal offers packages to try this sport without any membership or licence.

The professional golf players can select among a great variety. One of the Waldviertel golf courses will get their favourite.

Riding

We assume you do not arrive by horse at Camping Waldenstein. But maybe you would like to ride during your stay in the Waldviertel.

If you like to learn to ride or just try it out, you will find a suitable offer at the  Reiterhof Trinko.

 

 

Mountain bike tour to the Nebelstein

Maybe you and your companions (at least 3 persons) would like to explore the Waldviertel and neighbouring Sothern Bohemia in a guided mountain bike tour, we recommend to book a FunBikeTrail. Here you can choose between various trails or create your individual tour.

 

 

The beautiful, very diversified landscape of the Waldviertel is a special attraction of this region. To discover some natural gems, we will present you our selection.

 

 

Peatlands

Peatlands were always associated with a mystic appearance and people often stayed away. Spooky stories were told about ghosts and other gostly figures. Somehow these ancient stories still lurk back of the mind and we are fascinated by the bog habitats.

By peat extraction and building drains a lot of bogs disappeared. Some bogs could remain in the Waldviertel, like theHochmoor Schrems or the Hochmoor Heidenreichstein.

Peat is used for mud packs or mud baths. Some health resorts in the Waldviertel are specialised in peat treatments.

Further information about the bogs in the Waldviertel are available at Waldviertel Tourismus.

Nature park Blockheide

The nature park Blockheide shows you a diversified moorland with a special attraction - "wobbling stones". These huge granite boulders look like thrown by a giant into the landscape. Some of them can be moved by human power only.  Besides you can find marsh areas, dry grassland and an enourmous variety of weeds and its relating fauna. The 15th meridian East of Greenwich leads directly through the nature park. A metal sculpture illustrates this meridian.

Some learning paths give interesting background about the details of the nature. In the middle of the park you can climb up the watch tower to view the landscape from above. Next to the watch tower a small moutain hut offers some drinks and food. And if you prefer some extra walk, we recommend to explore the oldest natural monument of the county - the Malerwinkel. Within this beautiful river landscape you can take nice pictures or enjoy the relaxing atmosphere.

UnterWasserReich Schrems

A visit of the nature park in Schrems should be combined with a visit of the visitor centre UnterWasserReich in Schrems.

Here you can find an interesting exhibition about peatlands and ponds, an outdoor water-garden plus a compound of European otters, which can be watched during their feeding.

 

Bärenwald Arbesbach

You will not meet any bears in the Waldviertel in the wild, but you can experience these fascinating animals at the Bear Sanctuary Arbesbach.

The Bear Sanctuary Arbesbach offers brown bears from bad habits an animal-friendly home since 1998. Get an insight into the daily life of the bears by walking a loop tour and visiting the exhibition. If you prefer to get more details about a bear's life, you can book a guided tour.

The Waldviertel is not a typical cultural destination, but especially during the warm season you can select from a great variety of cultural evetns. We would like to recommend some of them to you.

 

 

Waldviertler Hoftheater

The northernmost professional theater in Austria can be found in Pürbach near Schrems - the Waldviertler Hoftheater. This theater is hosted in an old mayor house from the 19th century. From around May to December many different plays are performed on stage. Especially the great variety of performances and its small scale make this theatre so attractive for the audience. 

Castle of Weitra and summer stock theater in the couryard of the castle

The castle of Weitra belongs to the outstanding buildings of the Waldviertel. The castle was build in the Rennaissance style and has a very beautiful arcade courtyard. The castles hosts a castle museum, a brewery museum and a special exhibition, which is updated annually.

Every summer theatre performance and concerts are hold in the courtyard of the castle.

Waldviertel Art Museum

The Waldviertel Art Museum in Schrems wants to give you somewhat of an understanding of art. At the Waldviertel Art Museum, art, nature, fantasy and creative impulses are combined to create a holistic experience.

Besides annually changing exhibitions, a sculpture park and various workshops and seminars for adults and children invite you to get in touch with art.

Next to the Waldviertel Art Museum you can find the IDEA Design Centre, where you can buy selected design products.

Chamber music festival Allegro Vivo

Friends of chamber music pilgrimage to listen to the wonderful concerts of the Allegro Vivo festival each year. The concerts are held on different architectural treasuries like abbeys and palaces throughout the whole Waldviertel. The concerts invite the audience to experience the enriching and connecting effect of music.

Waldviertelbahn

For more than 115 years the steam and diesel locomotives huffes and puffes between Gmünd, Groß Gerungs and Litschau. The Waldviertelbahn is a small-narrow gauge railway with a gauge of 760 mm in the Waldviertel. The railway goes accross viaducts and through tunnels and gives impressive views to the scenery. The slow speed let you experience travelling like in the past. 

 

 

Observatory Höhenberg

Everyone is impressed by observing the endless expans of the universe. As light pollution increases, it gets harder and harder to find suitable places to observe the night sky. In the vicinity of Höhenberg the observatory Höhenberg is located. The operators hold guided tours. For groups of at least 5 persons also special tours can be arranged.

 

 

Glass handicraft in the Waldviertel

Glass is an indespensable material of mankind. As glass has a very high melting point, glass could only be produced in densely wooded regions in the past - like the Waldviertel. Still nowadays the techniques of glassblowing and glass processing can be seen.

The Waldglashütte in Neu-Nagelberg shows the traditional manufacturing of glassblowing. All steps of this old handicraft can be observed. And you will also feel the heat of the oven.

The world of expierence Kristallium shows you the history of glass, the handicraft of glass grinding and a virtual tour through a glass kiln. Afterwards you can try out glass grinding by your own.

Experience beer

In the past good beer could only be brewed, where soft water was available - like here in the Waldviertel. Nowadays the modern technologies allow breeing beer everywhere, as water can be treated as requested. But the century old tradition continues to be. Two of the most famous breweries of the Waldviertel offer guided tours to learn more about the art of brewing beer.

At the brewery Schrems you can arrange a guided tour with a tasting of different beers.

Also the brewery in Zwettl invites guests for guided tours or some evening events

 

A side trip to South Bohemia

South Bohemia and the Waldviertel have been a cultural area for centuries. By the World War II this relation was nearly totally disturbed. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain some old relations will be re-established or new ones are made.

A trip to the towns České Budějovice (Budweis), Jindřichův Hradec (Neuhaus) orTřeboň (Wittingau) is a well worth visit.  But South Bohemia is also very attractive for bikers or golfers, who will love the Heart of Golf

Since 2019 13 destinations in the Waldviertel and Czech Republic have started a cooperation for improved touristic offers. The destinations can be found online.