National Park House - entrance to the wildcat hiking trail - theme trail to the Thaya - Einsiedlerhöhle (hermit cave) - return to Hardegg via two vantage points - behind Gasthaus Thayabrücke (Thaya bridge inn) towards the clock tower - Kirchensteig (church path) to the National Park House.
- Spotting European wildcat silhouettes
- Great views of the Thaya and Hardegg Castle
We start from the National Park House. A dirt track opposite the road entrance eventually leads into the forest. The blue marking guides you unerringly. For children, the exciting part of the route now begins. Information signs at regular intervals provide information about the mysterious life of the European wildcat. Eleven wildcat silhouettes can also be found well camouflaged in the thicket. Can you find them all?
When the sound of the Thaya gets louder and louder, the hermit's meadow and the cave named after it cannot be far away. It's the perfect place for a picnic to refresh and unwind.
The trail continues uphill along the same route, but soon branches off to the right to reach two impressive views of the Thaya and the small town of Hardegg with its mighty castle. Since there is always something to see, the climb is divided into pleasantly manageable stages.
The hike continues in the shady, cool forest - particularly pleasant in summer - and finally reaches the Thayabrücke in Hardegg. Then it's uphill again in the direction of the clock tower and back to the National Park House via the Kirchensteig.
- The deep wagon tracks along the Hohlweg in the direction of Einsiedlerwiese bear witness to the work of earlier farmers. Here, they transported the hay for their cattle; it must have tasted particularly good because of the many medicinal herbs it contained.
- A hermit is said to have actually lived in the Einsiedlerhöhle at the time of the Crusades. This legend is displayed at the site.
- The Thayabrücke and thus the link to the Czech Republic was cut at the time of the Iron Curtain. Today, the bridge is once again a place of encounters.
- The Kirchensteig between Hardegg and the National Park House did not get its name by chance. Churchgoers from Merkersdorf used to take this route in times gone by.
