Gravel Biking in the Waldviertel

Recently in the Waldviertel. The Pain-Free in his home base in Schönberg am Kamp. The Editor-in-Chief at her country estate in Schiltern near Langenlois. And the man with the camera not far from both on his way to Vienna-South.
“How about a fixed meeting?” asked one. “No, let's go gravel biking instead,” suggested the other. “Sure, but I don't have a bike,” replied the third in the group.
The latter was quickly turned from a small problem into a big advantage thanks to the rental fleet of the Loisium Bikewelt (I just say: E-Bike!), and we were off to the editorial meeting on two or six wheels.

The Waldviertel Tourism kindly assisted us in selecting the route. We were recently asked if we could gather impressions from the Gravel Tour Langenlois – Gföhl as part of the LEADER-funded project "Waldviertel in Motion." And would we like to share these with our esteemed readership on occasion? Certainly, nothing we'd rather do!

The starting point of our route in the lower Kamp Valley, located at the transition from the Waldviertel to the Weinviertel, presented itself as quite sophisticated. The facades of the magnificent townhouses proudly lined up around the Kornplatz in Langenlois, its smoothly polished cobblestones warmly glowing in the bright sunlight.
It was already clear that upon our return, we could enjoy a refined visit here. Whether for a snack at the Loisium, a drink at the Ursin Haus, a bite at one of the inns, or even a "stroll" through the wine cellar alleys, we wanted to decide spontaneously and depending on taste, mood, and time.

Over the Urban Bridge with its namesake patron saint of the winemakers on its parapet, we turned onto the bike path along the Loiskandlzeile and left the charming wine town heading west; already accompanied here by the Loisbach, which we would now follow for 15 kilometers almost to its source in the Gföhleramt.

The official description of the 44-kilometer-long loop doesn't sound particularly poetic: "The Gravel Tour Gföhl - Langenlois is a combination of the Weinberg Route and the Gföhlerwald Route." And yet, it essentially says everything important.
Within 622 meters of elevation gain, it swings from the terraced vineyards of the famous Veltliner terroir through the sparse forests southeast of Gföhl up to the terrain level where the highlands of the Waldviertel begin, and then returns via the garden village of Schiltern. It mostly takes those paths and trails that once established the MTB trail network of Lower Austria and today are considered the ideal starting point for sophisticated gravel rides.
For us, this means: a high gravel content, many field paths, sometimes even grass and forest ground, hardly any asphalt, no traffic, and pure variety.

Initially, the state road was still to our right, while on the left, the wine taverns and vintners practically handed the key to each other. Numerous hiking and cycling path signs also testified to the diversity with which the juice of the vine enriches life here in the Kamp Valley: Wine Trail, Vino.Birdie.Tour, Wine Cycling Tour, and several more routes crossed our path.
At the latest from the idyllically located Nikolaus Church – the path had long since taken on the quite fitting name Garden Line here –, the forest increasingly took over the scene.

A narrow strip of terrain between the road and the slope was enough for us over the next 3.5 kilometers to completely escape from the world and reach the Kronsegger Reservoir: first on a gravel path through orchards and small-scale farming; then on a meadow path, increasingly overgrown, running directly next to and above the Loisbach; and finally even on a forest path, bumpy, rooty, spicy, with wooden bridges and low fords in between.

Due to the heavy rains of the previous nights, the ground was occasionally muddy and softened. Here and there, wooden slats or rootwork stood out due to notable slipperiness.
But not to an extent that would have overwhelmed the grip of our gravel tires. And not with a frequency that would have pushed the chirping of crickets, rustling of leaves, splashing of water, and cracking of branches sustainably into the background.

Only shortly before the Kronsegger Pond did the MTB track release us from this unexpected, deeply romantic wilderness. Normally, the dam of this artificially created retention basin is hardly worth mentioning due to its rather modest dimensions. Now it appeared to us, standing in stark contrast to the lush greenery we had just plowed through, as incredibly bare and rough.
Nonetheless: It is thanks to this masonry that the locals have a gem here, one that connoisseurs and enthusiasts travel to from Krems and even further afield. For anglers, it's all about the excellent Kronsegger carp. For those seeking relaxation, it's about a wonderfully quiet, rudimentary swimming opportunity.

Contrary to the street sign pointing left, at the junction with Garser Straße, it was necessary to turn right. About two-thirds of the total elevation, which was not particularly abundant anyway, had been achieved.
From our perspective, an asphalt section could have followed, allowing us to enjoy the now wide-open land with the wind in our faces as we sped across the high plateau. But once again, it turned out differently, and even better than expected.
Hardly had we rolled a sunflower field's length on the state road when we turned off again onto an inconspicuous forest road. According to several signposts, the narrow strip of tarmac would lead to the Rosalia Chapel. However, before reaching the little church, the route turned westward onto the gravel and field paths between Gföhleramt and Jaidhof. In gentle waves and playful zigzags, we cruised over pebbles and sand, between ponds and fields, and along paddocks.

Tip: Hungry and thirsty travelers should head south towards Gföhl during the following brief federal road interlude, instead of immediately heading eastward on the separate route (signposted "Gföhlerwald-Strecke") along the B37 into the second half. Because until Schiltern, which is practically just before the end of the tour, there are no further refreshment opportunities.
In Gföhl, however, there is a grocery store for those in a hurry, two cafes for those with a sweet tooth, and an inn for those seeking comfort around the main square.

Speaking of leisurely: Our way back was unexpectedly calm at first. Unexpectedly because around Gföhl there is usually always wind, which can turn even the flattest field path into a test of endurance, if not physically, then at least mentally. But not on this day and not at this hour, as the thunderclouds forecasted for the afternoon were only slowly beginning to gather far behind Gföhl.
Completely carefree, we therefore enjoyed the now unobstructed view over the flat land that was offered to us here on high. Except for the corn, all grain fields had already been harvested; many fields even plowed again. Accordingly, our eyes roamed unimpeded from the gravel path to the sky, from the hunting stand to the pheasant rooster, from the field edge to the church steeple, and over the meandering road back to the corn.

Only when we plunged into the dark forest again with a long left turn in Mittelbergeramt did the path demand more attention from us. And the deeper we then plunged into the forest along the Sauerbrunnbach, the more energetically our hands had to grip the handlebars and brake levers.
For the forest path, initially a firmly paved road, became worse and worse. The stones over which our narrow tires bumped grew larger and larger, the ruts left by the previous rain deeper and deeper, and they had to be avoided.
"Ping!" it finally went with a palpable impact when the pain-free one overlooked a particularly large chunk and thundered over it. But it went well, nothing happened – not even a puncture. "Definitely tubeless," we agreed when it came to potential material recommendations for the route.

With the bridge over the Loisbach, the first of the two loops that the route traces into the landscape was completed. Back to Kronsegg, to the junction towards Schiltern, it then continued on the well-maintained natural and later asphalt road.
Then awaited the only real uphill challenge of our tour, with a passage up to 21% steep through deep, slippery gravel and over washed-out paths. Of course, the gravel route did not take the paved Kronsegger road, but once again the vineyard path plowing through the terrain; only this time one could notice its original orientation as an MTB route due to the incline.
But Schiltern, which achieved some fame as a Mecca for plant and garden enthusiasts thanks to its demonstration and experience gardens, does not lie too high up. After 75 meters of elevation gain, the spectacle was over, and the place with its oversized flower pots and the funny bench in front of the heritage-protected castle was reached.

Once we briefly went uphill to dive into the last gravel section of the day via the Reither Gasse. Passing two wayside crosses and countless vines, we gradually descended, cruising over the finest loess sand of the last terrain stage down towards the Danube - with a fantastic view over the Tullner Feld, to the Göttweiger Berg, the Heiligenstein, and the Wagram included.

But we run the risk of repeating ourselves. We have already recently described in detail how charming this transition from forest to wine, from the Waldviertel back to the Kamptal, is.
For the last kilometers of the gravel round Langenlois - Gföhl, therefore, (even if this time we returned to our starting point via Unterreith and the Donatus statue) please refer to our tour story from spring 2024. And of course, for further ideas on the topic of dropbar rides in the Waldviertel as well ...