Discover Arbesbach: Trails, Nature and History

Arbesbach offers several starting points for planning your trip: trails through the town, circular walks with a named starting point, granite landscapes, cultural history and nature observation. Each destination has its own focus. When choosing a route, you can consider its course and starting point; anyone interested in architectural history will find different historical connections in the castle ruins, church and hammer mill.

Trails and landscape

The North–South Long-Distance Hiking Trail and the Vier-Märkteweg pass through Arbesbach. The town is also connected to the Waldviertel cycling and biking region and the Mühlviertel Cycle Route. The Bärentrail follows a different route: it begins and ends at BÄRENWALD Arbesbach. The distinction is clear when choosing a route: the two trails mentioned pass through the town, while the Bärentrail starts and finishes at BÄRENWALD.

The Steinkreuzweg is a circular hiking trail with 14 stations that starts at Arbesbach’s main square. It is also an open-air Way of the Cross: its stations are set on natural boulders. Its circular layout and named starting point give it a different character from the routes that pass through Arbesbach.

Small waterfalls shape the landscape at Höllfall, making their way over and between thousands of granite boulders. The area around Höllfall is designated both a natural monument and a European protected area. Höllfall is accessible only on foot via the five-kilometre Höllfallweg circular hiking trail. The trail begins in Pretrobruck near Arbesbach. This clearly identifies the access, circular route, length and starting point for this hike.

The cross-country ski trails near Arbesbach also pass through varied terrain: through forests and scattered settlements, as well as across wide-open countryside. They offer expansive views of the characteristic landscape of the Waldviertel Highlands. Here, the landscape along the trails shapes the experience, whereas the sequence of 14 stations is a defining feature of the Steinkreuzweg.

Culture, nature and special places

Arbesbach Castle Ruins are the surviving tower remains of a former Kuenringer castle. The 25-metre-high tower remains have been converted into a lookout tower and offer panoramic views of the typical landscape of the high Waldviertel. The same structure thus brings together its former function as a castle and views of the Waldviertel landscape.

The church and hammer mill also offer distinct historical highlights. Arbesbach Church was rebuilt by master builder Georg Rueff between 1761 and 1772, following the great fire of 1756. In Kamp near Arbesbach, the hammer mill is still fully operational. While the surviving tower remains are the focus at the castle ruins, the hammer mill stands out for its continuing function. The church adds a precisely dated reconstruction following the fire to these sites.

BÄRENWALD Arbesbach is a sanctuary run by the animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS for bears in need; visitors can observe bears there. Arbesbach bathing pond has a sunbathing lawn, a buffet, a sand court, a carousel and a zip line. The options in Arbesbach thus range from hiking trails and landscape experiences to cultural history, bear watching and the facilities at the bathing pond.

Discover more destinations: Friedersbach, Rappottenstein, Zwettl-Niederösterreich, Bad Traunstein, Schönbach, Griesbach, Kottes, Ottenschlag.

Back to the regional travel overview: Zwettl.