The best walks and hikes around Haunoldstein

View from the summit cross

The carved altar (1509) from Mauer near Melk is a masterpiece of the late Gothic period. The central section depicts Mary with Child and saints, while the wings feature scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. An altarpiece depicts a crucifixion. The woodcarver who created the altar, whose name is unknown, is referred to as the Master of the Altar of Mauer near Melk. (Source: Wikipedia https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meister_des_Altars_von_Mauer_bei_Melk)

The Osterburg castle ruins in Haunoldstein are picturesquely situated on a triangular rock plateau above the Pielach Gorge. Its origins date back to the late 12th century. The first documented mentions mention the Counts of Peilstein as owners, including Count Friedrich V, who died in the castle in 1209. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the complex was expanded several times, particularly by Rudolf Turso von Tiernstein (1405). Over the centuries, the castle changed hands several times, but fell into disrepair over time and is now a ruin. Despite its ruinous state, the Osterburg is a worthwhile destination. Visitors can explore the well-preserved remains of the walls and enjoy an impressive view of the surrounding landscape from there. The historic atmosphere and secluded location make it particularly attractive for history buffs and is worth a detour on the tour.

Sitzenthal Castle is a 16th-century castle building that was rebuilt and modernized by Count Ledochowska in the 19th century. On the upper floor, the castle has a colonnaded hall and rooms with ridge vaults, historical furniture and valuable paintings. Currently privately owned and therefore not accessible. Since then, the castle has been a fief of Melk Abbey and belonged to Count Ludwig Starhemberg, who was outlawed in 1619. In the 20th century, Sitzenthal came to the Barons Hammerstein-Equord. The poet and politician Hans Hammerstein-Equord (d. 1947), who was born here in the castle, was Austrian Federal Minister of Justice in 1936 and a prisoner in the Mauthausen concentration camp after 1938. More about the story: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Sitzenthal

Beautiful church in the Pielachtal, the Dunkelsteinerwald circuit leads past it.

A beautiful castle above the Pielach, unfortunately not open to the public.

In December 2023, the path through the Pielachenge was closed due to some fallen trees (ash trees dying). The corresponding note is only just before Haunoldstein and is so nonsensical. A section of the path is very narrow and slippery; sure-footedness is required when it is wet!

The Osterburg castle ruins are the ruins of a hilltop castle in the cadastral community of the same name in the municipality of Haunoldstein. The ruins stand on a triangular rock plateau that slopes steeply southwards into the Pielach Gorge. The first structure was probably built in the last quarter of the 12th century, the builders are unknown. Around 1200, the Counts of Peilstein owned the castle as freehold. Count Friedrich V of Peilstein died here in 1209. In the second half of the 13th century, the castle was inhabited by followers of the Häusler family. They named themselves after the Osterburg, which had meanwhile become a sovereign fief. Through marriage, it passed from the Häuslers to Konrad Eisenbeutel at the beginning of the 14th century. The Tursen of Tiernstein inherited the property around the middle of the 14th century. According to an old inscription above the door of the palace, Rudolf Turso von Tiernstein had the castle expanded in 1405. In 1489 the Prüschenk brothers took over the rule. In 1514 Emperor Maximilian I enfeoffed the knight Hans Geyer, whose family had only moved here from Franconia in 1482, with the castle. The castle was modernized and in 1584 the Geyer family acquired a district court from the sovereign. The Protestant branches of the Geyer family had to leave the country after the Battle of the White Mountain. The line that remained Catholic was elevated to the rank of baron in 1650 and was allowed to call itself Geyer von Geyersperg at Osterburg. However, the line was soon heavily in debt and was sold just two years later to Georg Wertemann Freiherr von Wertema. He passed it on to Horatius Buccellini Freiherr von Reichenberg in 1653. Finally, Count Raimund Montecuccoli, who owned the neighboring Hohenegg Castle, bought the property in 1668. From 1675 onwards he owned it as freehold. The administration was concentrated in Hohenegg and later in Mitterau, and as a result Osterburg was abandoned and fell into disrepair. In 1766 Count Zeno Montecuccoli had the medieval fortifications and some of the residential buildings demolished. The material was used to expand Mitterau Castle. The remaining ruins belonged to the Montecuccoli family until 1983. After that it became private property, and from 1985 onwards it was made habitable again and partially renovated.