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Felix Pilgrimage Route
Hiking tour Starting from Schwarzenau and Großhaselbach
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Distance: 18,48 km
- Duration: 6:30 h
- Ascent: 232 m elevation gain
- Descent: 232 m elevation gain
ATTENTION: The hiking trail is unfortunately not accessible at the moment, as changes are being made to the route.
- Starting point of the tour
- Schwarzenau and Großhaselbach
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Distance: 18,48 km
- Duration: 6:30 h
- Ascent: 232 m elevation gain
- Descent: 232 m elevation gain
- Fitness level required:3/6
- Overall experience:5/6
- Scenery:5/6
- Lowest point485 m
- Highest point571 m
- Round tour
Description
The market town of Schwarzenau is a particularly beautiful part of the Waldviertel, easily accessible by car and train. Situated exactly between Gmünd and Horn, Waidhofen and Zwettl, Schwarzenau can rightly consider itself the heart of the Waldviertel.
The most striking building is the privately owned castle. Surrounded by a magnificent park with a castle pond, it is one of the few completely renovated Renaissance castles in Austria. It is furnished with valuable paintings by Paul Troger and enjoys the unofficial reputation of an "Austrian stucco museum" due to the extraordinary stucco work by Giovanni Battista d'allio.
Right next to the castle is the Thaya-Au-Park with remarkable Waldviertel granite sculptures by Lithuanian artists, whose works can also be seen on the main square and at the idyllic "Bühlteich" forest pool.
- safety instructions ATTENTION: The hiking trail is unfortunately currently not passable due to trail changes being carried out.
- Route description From Schwarzenau, you go east on a forest path to Großhaselbach. You follow the old church path to Stögersbach, then continue on a gravel road to Matzlesschlag and Waldberg. Following the hiking trail, you reach Rafings. Continuing south, the hike goes to Rafingsberg and the impressive church ruin "Maria Rafings", a former important pilgrimage site that fell into decay after its closure at the end of the 18th century and is now being preserved by the local population. A new pilgrimage chapel is located not far from the ruin. Via Windigsteig and Limpfings, you return to Schwarzenau. In Schwarzenau - Großhaselbach - Waldberg and Windigsteig there are Felix statues, which were donated in gratitude in 1738-39 by a Schwarzenau castle lord.
- Getting there Vienna: A 22 - Stockerau - B4 to Horn - B2 to Brunn an der Wild - turn left onto B32 to Winkel then turn right onto L56 to Schwarzenau. Linz: A 7 towards Freistadt - B 310 to Freistadt - B 38 to Karlstift where you turn right and drive to Zwettl - in Zwettl take B 36 towards Gmünd - at Gerotten turn onto L 67 and drive to Schwarzenau.
Recommended period
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Market town Schwarzenau
3900 Schwarzenau
Waidhofnerstrasse 2
www.schwarzenau.at,
gemeinde@schwarzenau.at
Phone: +43(2849)2247
WALDVIERTEL Tourism
3910 Zwettl, Sparkassenplatz 1/2/2
(T) +43(0)2822/54109, Fax ext. 36
Toll-free domestically:
(T) +43(0)800/300 350
(E) info@waldviertel.at
(I) www.waldviertel.at
Letzte Änderung: 16 Mar 2026