Altenfelden: Wildlife Park, Mill Rivers and Church Art
Accommodation in Altenfelden
Altenfelden offers concrete starting points for a trip focused on wildlife, local history and hiking. The municipality is located on a ridge between the Kleine MĂĽhl and GroĂźe MĂĽhl rivers. It is also home to a wildlife park, an artistically noteworthy box nativity scene and hiking trails with different features. If you are looking for a hotel in Altenfelden, these interests can help you plan the focus of your stay.
Location between the Kleine MĂĽhl and GroĂźe MĂĽhl
The municipality of Altenfelden is located on a ridge between the Kleine Mühl and Große Mühl rivers. The Kleine Mühl forms its natural eastern boundary, and the Große Mühl its natural western boundary. This makes the map orientation clear: the two rivers mark the eastern and western boundaries of the municipality, with the ridge between them. This geographical setting provides a framework for the different things to explore in Altenfelden—from nature and hiking to historical traces of the town’s past.
Wildlife and hunting culture
More than 1,000 animals from over 200 species live at Altenfelden Wildlife Park. Alongside this focus on wildlife, the Cultum Venandi hunting culture museum opened in the centre of the park in 2019, the wildlife park’s 50th anniversary year. It aims to introduce visitors to the history and significance of hunting in today’s society and cultural landscape. The animal collection and museum offer different points of interest: one focuses on animal diversity, the other on the cultural context of hunting.
The shorter hiking route in the wildlife park is also worth considering when planning your time: it takes about two hours and passes all the animals. As access may vary depending on park conditions, check before your visit whether the route is accessible on your chosen date. This way, you can include the approximate time in your plans without assuming it applies to other trails.
The box nativity scene and church history
The large, historic box nativity scene in Altenfelden parish church dates from 1820 to 1850. It is located in the left side chapel on a neo-Gothic altar carved by altar builder Kepplinger of Ottensheim. The nativity scene includes 30 fabric-clad figures and 40 sheep, as well as a carved and painted wooden ox and donkey. Details about the figures, animals and altar give the ensemble both an artistic and a historical context.
Another historical feature in the parish church is the gravestone of Gertrude Steinpöck, dating from 1355 and located in the north chapel. Together with the box nativity scene, it creates a timeline spanning the Middle Ages to the first half of the 19th century. Another chapter in the chapel’s history concerns the growing number of pilgrims arriving from far away, even from Bohemia: in response to this influx, Altenfelden municipality had the small chapel demolished in 1875 and replaced with a much larger stone chapel. This account describes a specific change brought about by the growing number of pilgrims.
Hiking trails for planning
The MĂĽhltal Circular Trail No. 21 is a circular hike. Hiking information for the Wildparkweg Trail No. 22 is available to download. These details help with different planning questions: the MĂĽhltal Circular Trail is explicitly described as a loop, while you can download hiking information for the Wildparkweg in advance. The shorter route in the wildlife park is distinct from both, with its own estimated duration and a route that passes all the animals. You can therefore consider each trail according to its stated features rather than treating their descriptions as interchangeable.
The wildlife park, church art and hiking trails offer different highlights for your trip to Altenfelden. To decide what you would like your stay to focus on, consider the specific differences: the animal collection and hunting culture at the park, historical features in the parish church, or the respective descriptions of the hiking trails.
Discover more destinations: Neufelden, Sankt Martin im Mühlkreis, Lembach im Mühlkreis, Auberg, Eilmannsberg, Peilstein im Mühlviertel, Guglwald, Hörbich.
See the regional travel overview: Rohrbach.
