Winter trip to the Mandlstein viewpoint in the Novohradské Mountains

Trip to the Mandlstein viewpoint in the Austrian part of the Novohradské Mountains

Starting point

Heinrichs bei Weitra municipality, free parking lot by the church.
 

Description of the hike

It was called the mountain of desire. Mandlstein, an 800-meter peak with its base in Bohemia and its summit in Lower Austria, divided for two generations by a border and barbed wire. It offers a view north to Bohemia, to the Novohradsko region. Those who lost their homes in the Sudetenland in southern Bohemia climbed it to look back at their native region. Behind Nové Hrady, I turn towards Weitra in Austria (Vitoraz in Czech). I leave my car a few kilometers across the border in the village of Heinrichs bei Weitra. Around Heinrichs, there is an educational trail leading through the rocks and sights in the area. Perhaps it is possible to pick up a guide somewhere in Heinrichs, but I have always been here outside of the season when everything was closed.

From the church on the village green, a marked trail leads towards Mandlstein, with a sign indicating approximately 1.5 hours. The path turns into a pine forest. Everything is freshly covered in snow, like in the fairy tale about Jack Frost. After a few hundred meters, the first rocks come into view. Round granite boulders look as if they had been stacked by some giant into piles, loaves, and rocking stones. They have imaginative names such as Mouse Trap, Love Gazebo, Hell Gate, and Sun Stone. Some of them have educational trail stops with legends or tasks. In addition to the rocks, there are other interesting things to see – in Waldviertel (the wooded northern part of Lower Austria), you can still find traces of the Thirty Years' War, when the Swedes marched through Europe. Here, they take the form of the remains of Swedish fortifications – a defensive rampart (Schanzengraben).

The trail climbs up to the Hut rock (Klobouk), which hides a surprise for children. A plaster dwarf used to guard the summit book here. I can't find the dwarf, but a large grasshopper with a capsule around its neck is crouching under a rock. From Hut, it is a few hundred meters to the parking lot below Mandlstein and then on to a gentle hill to the lookout point. Mandlstein got its name from the rocks that resembled almonds stacked on top of each other.

Just below the summit, you will come across a memorial site and a small chapel. The chapel is dedicated to those who died when they had to leave their homes. The word "Vertriebene" (expellees) is used many times here, referring to the original population of the Sudetenland, who were "expelled" beyond the borders of the Czech state after the war. The text on the information board begins with a slight provocation: "Where is my home... these are the first words of the Czech national anthem." A metal viewing platform has been built on Mandlstein, from which, in good conditions, you can see the panorama of southern Bohemia and part of the Novohradské Mountains. Around Mandlstein runs the Rundweg – a circular trail with the Mandlsteintor rock gate.

You can then return to Heinrichs by road, or continue along one of the border roads to Šejby or Nové Hrady in Bohemia. Within sight of Heinrichs, there is a yellow chapel by the road. This place on the edge of the forest has a special energy. Pilgrims used to stop here on their way to Dobrá Voda. It is said that a battle between the Swedes and Austrians took place here, literally to the last man. The last two soldiers agreed to a duel, but before that, they buried a treasure here, which attracted thieves for years. The chapel is of a later date, established by the Tanzer family from nearby Göllitzdorf in memory of three weddings in one year – green, silver, and gold. At the back of the chapel is a bell and a few words dedicated to those who had to leave and those who stayed. Anyone can ring the bell and write their wishes in the book hanging on the memorial tree. I wish everyone that their wishes come true in 2026, and I quote the inscription on the chapel: "Mög jeder im Herzen Zufriedenheit finden..." (May everyone find peace in their hearts).
 

Difficulty

An easy route with views in the Novohradské Mountains. It can be shortened (parking lot below Mandlstein) or extended to the Czech border or to Nové Hrady.
 

Water availability

There is a restaurant in Heinrichs, otherwise bring a snack with you.
 

Sleeping options

Nové hrady/Weitra sufficient accommodation capacity.
 

Mountain peaks

Mandlstein (874 m), views of the Novohradské Mountains and the South Bohemian Region.
 

Danger

The route is safe for children ( educational trail).
 

Food

The inn in Heinrichs, but opening hours are uncertain outside the season. Larger towns in the vicinity: Weitra and Nové Hrady.
 

Attractions

Nové Hrady – castle, Terezie Valley, tomb of the Buquoy family. Right on the border, there is a small open-air museum of the Iron Curtain, which shows the life of border guards.