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Sheep pasture dispute, no. 81
Hiking tour Starting from Market square Rastenfeld
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Distance: 14,20 km
- Duration: 4:00 h
- Ascent: 238 m elevation gain
- Descent: 238 m elevation gain
The hiking route leads from Rastenfeld to Purzelkamp to Rastenberg, on to Marbach im Felde via Mottingeramt in the forest back to Rastenfeld.
- Starting point of the tour
- Market square Rastenfeld
- Tour destination
- Market square Rastenfeld
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Distance: 14,20 km
- Duration: 4:00 h
- Ascent: 238 m elevation gain
- Descent: 238 m elevation gain
- Fitness level required:3/6
- Overall experience:4/6
- Scenery:4/6
- Lowest point505 m
- Highest point654 m
- Round tour
- With refreshment stops
The hiking route leads from Rastenfeld to Purzelkamp to Rastenberg, on to Marbach im Felde via Mottingeramt in the forest back to Rastenfeld.
Sheep grazing dispute 1834 to 1839: The lords of Rastenberg set up large sheep pastures to increase their yields. These were grazed on the cultivated fields and fallow fields of the farmers from Marbach and Sperkentahl due to outdated rights. The farmers insisted on a decision by the Lower Austrian provincial government from 1819 and 1822, according to which grazing on the seed fields against their will was not permitted. The appeals to the farmers to obey were unsuccessful and they were imprisoned and physically beaten with sticks. Even a military operation with 105 soldiers, led by Court Councillor Ritter von Krticzka, remained without lasting success. The unrest lasted several years, briefly spreading to the dominion of Ottenstein and was only settled by Bishop Wagner in 1839. There was also unrest in the neighboring lordships of Schiltern and Brunn am Wald over the sheep pastures and the demanded Robottage, which could only be quelled by military action. These unrest could only be ended by the abolition of the manorial lordship and the expiry of the manorial grazing rights.
Make sure when choosing your route that it suits your fitness level. Check whether the gastronomy businesses you want to visit on the way are open. Pack your charged mobile phone and maps in your backpack. For cross-border routes please always carry a passport or ID card.
Sturdy footwear, functional clothing, sun and rain protection, maps, optionally telescopic poles, first aid kit (blister plasters), sufficient provisions (snack, muesli bars, fruit, water).
From the market square in Rastenfeld, you ascend towards Schöpfermühle on the old castle path down to Purzelkamp and follow it to Rastenberg or further upstream to the dilapidated Bruckmühle. A short, demanding ascent takes you to Marbach im Felde and then on flat terrain into the cool forest glade. After this forest section, you cross the Dobrabach via a wooden bridge and follow it along the right bank to the next crossing. Now you ascend to Rastenfeld and back to the starting point. Incidentally, the name of the path goes back to the peasant uprisings at the beginning of the 19th century, where there were recurrent riots especially due to the sheep pasture dispute.
Market square Rastenfeld
A22 and S5 or S33 to Krems - B37 towards Zwettl - turn right onto B 38 in Rastenfeld
Recommended period
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Municipal Office Rastenfeld
3532 Rastenfeld 30
(T) +43 2826 289
(E) gemeinde@rastenfeld.at
(I) www.rastenfeld.at
Information Center Region Kampseen at Ottenstein parking lot
T 0664/494 08 14
info@kampseen.at
www.kampseen.at
Waldviertel Tourism
3910 Zwettl, Sparkassenplatz 1/2/2
(T) +43 2822 54109
(E) info@waldviertel.at
(I) www.waldviertel.at
Letzte Änderung: 20 May 2026