Attractions and Places To See around Waldhausen - Top 20

From the 15th century onwards, Lichtenfels changed hands frequently until the castle came to Rastenberg in 1628. As the new owners moved their seat of power to Rastenberg, the slow decay of Lichtenfels began in 1774. In 1790, the Freiherrn von Bartenstein, who owned Rastenberg and Lichtenfels, sold the majority of the castle's roof to Stift Zwettl. The reason for this was the roof tax introduced by Emperor Joseph II, which was calculated based on the size of the roof areas. Numerous noble families throughout the country had their cold and uninhabitable castles de-roofed at that time to save taxes. In 1804, the last inhabitant left Lichtenfels castle, which has been owned by the Thurn-Valsassina family together with Rastenberg since 1872. The Romanesque chapel, formerly dedicated to the Apostle Paul, was a destination for small pilgrimages for a long time; the last one took place in 1960 from Friedersbach. Lichtenfels castle ruins can be visited all year round (at your own risk).

On a peninsula in the Ottenstein reservoir, the Lichtenfels castle ruins rise picturesquely. Before the creation of the reservoir (1954-1957) and the construction of the federal road B38 with the bridge completed in 1957, the Lichtenfels castle, first mentioned in 1248, stood lonely on a rocky ridge high above the Kamp river. In the 13th century, an important ministerial family resided here, initially bearing the nickname „Tursen“, deriving from Rauheneck castle near Baden, and towards the end of this century took the name „Lichtenfels“. Under their rule were numerous surrounding places, such as Friedersbach, for example. During the Hussite invasions of 1427/28, Lichtenfels served as a storage place for the archives and treasures of the Zwettl Abbey.

No Merlot here — the shelf stands empty, quiet, waiting for a bottle that never comes. Kein Merlot hier — das Regal bleibt leer, still, wartend auf eine Flasche, die nie kommt. Pas de Merlot ici — l'étagère reste vide, silencieuse, attendant une bouteille qui n'arrive jamais. No hay Merlot aquí — el estante queda vacío, silencioso, esperando una botella que nunca llega.

The Ottenstein reservoir, is the largest of the Kamp lakes and is among the richest waters in fish in Austria and at the same time among the best predatory fish waters in Europe. Its water surface is 4.3 km² and extends with its fjord-like, branched side arms, with a length of more than 14 km, up to Zwettl. The deepest point is 69 m.

Originally, after the town's founding, Trinity Square was part of Zwettl's main square, which at that time stretched as an extensive triangular plaza from the townhouses behind the Hundertwasser Fountain to the level of the Hausleitner house above the "Zur Goldenen Rose" inn. The construction of houses along the lower Landstraße, the so-called "Grätzl," significantly narrowed the main square, and the addition of the cross street eventually divided it into two squares.

During the Baroque period, people everywhere were eager to express their gratitude for overcoming the plague years and the Turkish Wars by erecting plague or Trinity columns. In 1727, the pillory in the upper square was replaced by the richly sculpted sandstone column created by Kaspar Högl of Eggenburg. During the last renovation in 1998, extensive environmental damage to the figures was repaired, and the entire column was painted a light yellow. The four life-size statues are, in the center at the front, the Immaculate Conception; to her left, St. Sebastian (pierced by five arrows); to her right, St. Roch (pointing to the plague boil on his thigh); and St. Florian (holding a flag in one hand and a bucket of water in the other). The iron fountain in the immediate vicinity of the Trinity Column is a gift from the then-mayor, Eugen Beck, of the twin town of Plochingen near Stuttgart.

Hundertwasser in the Waldviertel, very fine.

our tour to the castle - https://www.komoot.com/de-de/tour/2048966452