Wenzel Footbridge

Description

Wine town Retz - The town of Retz was systematically founded in 1279 by Count Berchtold of Rabenswalde and his wife Wilbirgis of Hardegg at the crossroads of two important trade routes. The town was fortified with powerful walls, a moat, and rampart. The main square of Retz, with its impressive size of 1.2 ha, is considered one of the most beautiful and largest marketplaces in Austria. It is dominated by the imposing rising town hall. The magnificent Baroque and Biedermeier buildings, above all the Verderber House in Venetian style and the Sgraffito House, convey southern flair. Beneath the town center, which was built on a layer of marine sand, lies a cellar system whose extent is larger than the above-ground traffic areas and can thus be called the largest historic wine cellar in Austria – the Retz Adventure Cellar. The landmark of the town is the Retz windmill, which towers on a hill in the northwest of the town.

Starting point of the tour

Retz, Main Square

Route description Wenzel Footbridge

From the main square – town fountain – you go through the Verderber and Znaimertor gates, turning left at the first intersection into Windmühlgasse. At its end, the footpath to the windmill branches off to the right. Passing the windmill, to your right lie the Calvary Hill and the soldiers' cemetery. Further uphill, the path leads along a mixed pine forest to the crossroads at the “Büd’lbaum”. Here, turn right until about 600 m past the meadow, then turn right again. Through the Haidgraben you reach the riding stable “Schwarze Föhre”, where a snack station invites you to stop. Over the Wenzel Footbridge, you reach the federal road, which you cross. Accompanied by the Retz Altbach, you now walk through Kaiserallee to Lange Zeile (possibility for refreshment: Altstadtheuriger Lehninger), from where you reach the main square in about 15 minutes.