# Kamptal and Waldviertel: castles beyond the Wachau

> 3-day road trip of about 134 km (83 mi) with 9 stops, from Krems to Gmünd. About 1 h 51 min of driving in total.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b4-kamptal-waldviertel/

**At a glance:** 3-day road trip of about 134 km (83 mi) with 9 stops, from Krems to Gmünd. About 1 h 51 min of driving in total. Wine terraces in Langenlois, then castles and abbeys in the quiet granite forests of Lower Austria’s north.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 134 km (83 mi) |
| Driving | 1 h 51 min |
| Suggested days | 3 |
| Stops | 9 |
| Route | Krems → Gmünd |
| Countries | Austria |
| Updated | July 27, 2026 |

## Route description

From Krems, at the eastern gate of the Wachau, drive north to Langenlois, Austria’s largest wine town, surrounded by terraces of Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. The Heiligenstein vineyard hill is a good short walk.

The B34 follows the winding Kamp valley north through Gars am Kamp, a small summer resort with a castle ruin, to the Rosenburg, a Renaissance castle famous for its falconry shows. Horn has a pleasant old town, and nearby Altenburg Abbey has a Baroque library to rival Melk’s, without the crowds.

West of here the Waldviertel, the “forest quarter”, is a high plateau of fields, granite boulders and fish ponds. Zwettl has a Cistercian abbey and a brewery, and Rappottenstein Castle, never conquered, stands on a rock in the woods south-west of the town.

Finish at Gmünd on the Czech border, where the Blockheide nature park has rocking granite boulders. The Waldviertel is cooler than the Danube valley and few tourists venture here, so campsites and parking are easy; autumn colours and the poppy fields around Armschlag in July are the highlights.

## Stop-by-stop itinerary

1. **Krems** (Austria)
2. **Langenlois** (Austria)
3. **Gars am Kamp** (Austria)
4. **Rosenburg Castle** (Rosenburg-Mold, Austria): A Renaissance castle above the Kamp valley with one of Europe’s largest tournament courtyards and falconry shows in season.
5. **Horn** (Austria)
6. **Altenburg Abbey** (Altenburg, Austria): A Benedictine abbey with a Baroque library and a painted crypt, usually far quieter than Melk. Its gardens are open in summer.
7. **Zwettl** (Austria)
8. **Rappottenstein Castle** (Rappottenstein, Austria): A never-conquered medieval castle on a granite outcrop in the Waldviertel, with a series of courtyards and original frescoes. Guided tours run in summer.
9. **Gmünd** (Austria)