Castle Trail

Exploring the traces of our common history

On more than 215 kilometers of marked paths, the Castles and Palaces Trail invites you to explore the former centers of aristocratic culture in the Mühlviertel and South Bohemia across borders.

The journey on foot from Grein to Velešín takes guests into a past when this region was cleared and settled. A total of 19 castles, palaces and ruins await discovery. The long-distance hike gives an overall view of how fortified and magnificent buildings have changed over the course of history. There are completely intact castles that are still inhabited or used (e.g. Greinburg, Clam, Tannbach, Weinberg, Freistadt), well-restored castle ruins (Kreuzen, Reichenstein, Prandegg, Ruttenstein, Pořešín, Tichá) through to little-known buildings (e.g. the castle Zellhof). With the ruins of Saxenegg, nature creates an untouched allegory of transience with its own aesthetic dignity.

The history of the region comes alive in the seven lovingly designed castle and palace museums: Greinburg, Clam, Prandegg, Altenburg/Windhaag, Reichenstein, Freistadt and Pořešín.

A free, 120-page hiking guide (available in DE/EN/CZ) with historical background information, a list of restaurants and route recommendations can be ordered from the tourismus information (anfrage@muehlviertel.at, +43 (0)5/07263-31) can be requested.

A special highlight: there is a three-language audio guide for every castle or palace, which can be downloaded free of charge using a mobile app. A herald guides you through the total playing time of over 3.5 hours. The guide also has a GPS map function that keeps even less experienced hikers on the path.