Helfenberg: Hiking, Cycling and Culture

For a stay in Helfenberg, hiking trails, a cross-border cycling tour and historic cultural attractions offer practical points of reference. The routes vary in length, theme and stated walking time: alongside routes with estimated times of around an hour and a half to just over four hours, there is a 58-kilometre themed circuit.

Hiking by Time and Theme

The 3-Themenwanderweg (3-Theme Hiking Trail) starts and ends at Helfenberg’s town square. The route is 14 kilometres long, with a walking time of around 4¼ hours. The family-friendly 3-Themen-Weg can be walked from spring to autumn and features 40 information boards and seating designed by artists. Seasonal conditions may vary; take this into account when planning your hike.

The Burgweg (Castle Trail) is shorter, at 6.2 kilometres and around 1.5 hours of walking. It starts at the century loom in the town square and climbs to Piberstein Castle, built around 1200. Compared with the 3-Theme Hiking Trail, its stated walking time is considerably shorter; this route also leads to a historic destination.

The 58-kilometre Kraft-Quelle-Baum-Rundweg (Power-Source-Tree Circular Trail) is a circular hiking route themed around tree healing. It differs from the Burgweg to Piberstein Castle both in its considerably longer distance and in its thematic focus. Hikers choosing routes by subject will find a different emphasis here than on a trip to a castle.

Cycling Route and Longer Stages

The Granitpilgerweg (Granite Pilgrimage Trail) offers another benchmark: over 90 kilometres, it connects ten municipalities from St. Martin to Helfenberg and passes through the southeastern part of Rohrbach District in three to four daily stages. It is therefore designed for multiple stages and municipalities, while the local routes mentioned can be compared by their individual distances and walking times.

For a cycling tour, the Witiko-Radweg is another option. This 48-kilometre cross-border tour starts and ends at Helfenberg’s town square. Like the 3-Theme Hiking Trail, it shares this start and finish point; the Burgweg starts at the town square and ends at Piberstein Castle. The routes therefore differ not only in activity and length, but also in whether they start and finish at the same place.

Attractions and Culture

Helfenberg’s attractions include Piberstein Castle, Revertera Castle and the Maria Rast forest chapel. The castle is both a destination in its own right and the endpoint of the Burgweg. The parish church is in the town centre on the banks of the Steinerne Mühl and adds a building with a long history to the selection of cultural attractions.

Construction work on the parish church began in 1712. By the summer of 1717, the new church had been fully fitted out with renovated altars and a new organ. Four statues of the Latin Church Fathers date from 1714 and were supplied by Philipp Rambler from Freistadt.

The Kulturfabrik presents theatre highlights every year during the summer months. If you would like to combine your stay with the theatre programme, check the specific event dates before travelling.

The Haudum Speckwerkstatt offers guided tours; you can also buy a Böhmerwald Brettljause to take away there. Check availability before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Eilmannsberg, Hörbich, Peilstein Im Mühlviertel, Auberg, Schönegg, Oepping, Julbach, Arnreit

For the overview of the wider area: Rohrbach.