Gmünd: Granite Landscapes, Moors and Culture

Granite formations, moorland landscapes, historic sites and music events offer a variety of themes for a stay in the Gmünd district. In Blockheide Nature Park, the landscape is shaped by bizarre granite formations, quiet forests, gentle meadows, heathland, hidden forest ponds and natural stream valleys. Those who enjoy spending time outdoors will find not only natural sights here, but also specific stops along the themed trails.

Experience and discover nature

The themed trails in Blockheide connect playgrounds with the 15th meridian, a former water reservoir that now serves as an information centre, and a 30-metre-high observation tower. The nature park is also home to rare species such as marsh grasshoppers and common heather. This makes both striking landscape features and nature observation a central part of the experience.

In the Gmünd district, Schrems High Moor Nature Park covers around 300 hectares; 119 hectares of this area are protected and belong to the “Waldviertel Ponds, Moors and Rivers” Ramsar site. Moor frogs, dragonflies, sundews and bladderworts can be observed along the high moor hiking trail. The UnterWasserReich in the nature park complements the theme of moors and ponds with an interactive indoor experience exhibition and a water garden designed to resemble a natural habitat. It is accessible, offers information in German, English and Czech, and is suitable for bad-weather days.

From an observatory to castle history

Höhenberg Observatory is located in the Gmünd district in a six-metre-high brick tower. It is equipped largely with historic telescopes, and a short planetary trail leads to the observatory. Those interested in astronomy will find a combination of exercise and celestial knowledge here, while the technical instruments retain their historic character.

Architectural history also has several facets: Ehrendorf Castle has a history spanning almost 600 years and was first documented in 1427. In Kirchberg am Walde, in the Gmünd district, a castle has a medieval core and Baroque-Early Classical design. The two examples highlight different aspects of history—from the earliest written record to several clearly recognisable building phases.

Music takes centre stage at the Schrammel.Klang.Festival at Herrensee in Litschau. The programme includes matinees, the Schrammel.Pfad, evening concerts and music workshops. The festival offers a different way to include culture in your travel plans than the historic buildings or the region’s nature-related attractions.

Hiking, cycling and golf

A network of more than 70 kilometres of marked hiking trails crosses a wooded landscape. In Sankt Martin, more than 30 speciality varieties of potatoes are grown and marketed organically; local restaurants turn them into culinary specialities. When planning your trip, you can choose between hiking trails and local food culture, rather than focusing your stay on a single activity.

Cycling trips can be combined with the Waldviertelbahn: bicycles are carried free of charge, making it possible to combine train journeys with cycle tours and individual cycling stages. The Iron Curtain Trail – EuroVelo 13 offers another point of reference for cyclists. It starts in Gmünd, ends in Bratislava and is well signposted along its entire route.

Those looking to include golf in their trip will find Golfclub Haugschlag in the Gmünd district, with two 18-hole championship courses. Water, large granite boulders and heathland shape the landscape around the courses. The club also offers taster sessions, as well as beginner and introductory courses.

Water and relaxation

Sole Felsen Sauna has various saunas, a steam grotto, a rock hammam and an extensive sauna garden by Asangteich pond. Sole Felsen Bad offers warm pools, some of which are enriched with Bad Ischl healing brine, as well as bubbling attractions, massage jets and a lazy river. These facilities add a dedicated wellness focus to the region’s nature and culture themes.

When choosing a holiday apartment, it may be helpful to include the place name associated with your preferred activity in your plans: Litschau is known here for its music festival, Sankt Martin for hiking trails and potato traditions, and Haugschlag for golf.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Schrems, Sankt Wolfgang, Moorbad Harbach, Sankt Martin, Waldenstein, Weitra, Ullrichs, Litschau, Haugschlag, Eggern, Gmünd, Heidenreichstein, Bad Großpertholz, Hirschenwies, Kirchberg Am Walde, Lauterbach, Hoheneich.

For the higher-level travel overview: Lower Austria.