Thayarunde Waldviertel - 1. Etappe

During the Thayarunde’s winter closure (approximately November through March), maintenance and upkeep work is carried out on a regular basis. This may result in temporary closures of individual sections of the trail. For your own safety, please be sure to observe these closures.

From the Göpfritz/Wild train station building—a listed historic structure—the bike path follows the tracks toward Vienna to the intersection and the railroad overpass. Immediately after the bridge, turn left onto Nordbahnweg. The path then follows the station tracks toward Gmünd and leads to the Mayer wood processing plant. After 300 meters, you’ll see a buffer stop, a stop signal, and a paved parking area, which also marks the start of the Thayarunde railway-trail bike path.

After about 3 kilometers, you’ll reach the Breitenfeld bike route intersection. Here, you have the option to follow the Thayarunde-South Bike Trail to Waidhofen/Thaya. Filming for the Lenin film “The Train” took place on this section of track in the 1980s. Continuing along the railroad right-of-way, you’ll come to the former Kirchberg/Schönfeld train stop. The nearby Bergteich pond was a popular swimming spot for the residents of Groß-Siegharts on summer weekends. People would take the train one stop away and return in high spirits on the evening train. Today, the Bergteich is mainly enjoyed by anglers. The swimming access point is now about 800 meters from the railroad trail.

After a cool walk through the forest, filled with birdsong, you’ll soon reach Groß Siegharts, the “textile town.” After crossing State Road 55/Bahnhofsstraße, you’ll find yourself at the former train station grounds. A proud sower greets you from the gable of the railroad warehouse. The old, already dilapidated train station was demolished in 2014. Groß Siegharts is a wonderful place to take a break, whether to spend the night or to visit one of the many restaurants at mealtimes. You’ll now cross Fabrikenstraße, pass by the cemetery, and ride slightly downhill past a rock cut to the Sieghartsless station. After that, the route climbs gently to the former Weinern train station, which is now used as a private residence.

You’ll then cross the Weinerner Bach and arrive in Pfaffenschlag. This village is home to the largest cluster of resettlement housing. The small Pfaffenschlag-Aigen stop, perched at the highest point of the route, invites you to linger. The path now leads slightly downhill, past small ponds.

The Oberndorf/Raabs stop was originally intended to be the terminus, but the residents of Raabs insisted on a station closer to their town, so the geologically challenging route—including the Starzenbach crossing and a rock tunnel—had to be built all the way to Raabs. Today, the warehouse stands on the site of the former station; the station itself was demolished in 2013. The route descends steeply past the JUFA Hotel Waldviertel and then turns left to cross the Thaya River via a beautiful steel-truss arch bridge. The main square is bustling with restaurants and cafés, and hotels and guesthouses offer lodging.