The best road cycling routes around Japons

Crosses were erected to commemorate an important event or to confirm religious commitment. They were built in gratitude for being saved from death, or for receiving a grace. They also served as boundary markers that marked the end and beginning of a village, or as signposts. Crosses are made from various raw materials. An example is crosses with Christ cut out of sheet metal. They were mainly created in the period from the second half of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century.

Very nice recreational facility with a restaurant.

Imposing castle with a very nice cycle path next to it on an old railway line

There's a somewhat absurdly designed wooden cross, a few seats, and a fountain.

Karlstein was first mentioned in 1112 as "Chadelstain." As a fiefdom, Karlstein belonged to the respective territorial princes, who granted this rule to knightly families, although no continuous dynasty established itself here. Since the castle was never owned by a single family for an extended period, it was continually rebuilt and expanded. Practically nothing remains of the original castle. In the following centuries, the border region was repeatedly raided by enemy armies (Ottokar, Hussites, Matthias Corvinus). After the suppression of the Peasants' Revolt in 1597, the leader, Andreas Schrembser, was presumably imprisoned in Karlstein Castle. In 1645, the Swedes besieged Karlstein Castle in vain. In 1663, it served as a refuge during the Turkish threat. In 1914, an internment camp was established in the castle, despite it being uninhabitable. The Montenegrin General Staff was also imprisoned there. After the war, the Hungarian communist leader Béla Kun was interned here. Later, the castle was used as a youth hostel, and in the 1960s, it also served as a guesthouse. The castle is now privately owned and no longer open to the public.

We didn't see a single car here during the week.

Unfortunately, it is almost no longer accessible (logs were deliberately deposited here) and the ascent is blocked.

In 1983, the Papstwarte near Doberndorf was opened. It was built on the occasion of the visit of Pope John Paul II. With a total of 119 steps, you reach a height of 24 meters - the tower itself is located at an altitude of 497 meters above sea level. It was designed by Robert Krapfenbauer, who was born in Rodingersdorf in 1923. Doberndorf belonged to Rodingersdorf until 1920 and the tower can be found in the middle of the forest about halfway between Doberndorf and Rodingersdorf - access by car is possible. The tower is not accessible as of September 2024. It is privately owned and cordoned off. It is currently not possible to say whether and when it will be open to the public again.