Family vacation in the Waldviertel with excursion tips

Why always travel far away when there are such beautiful areas with great excursion destinations so close by? That's what my husband thought, and he surprised us with this wonderful weekend. A holiday on an organic farm and excursions to Rapottenstein Castle, the Arbesbach Bear Sanctuary, and the monastery school workshops in Schönbach. Here is my report on how we got on:

Organic farm Besenbäck in Rapottenstein

The Biohof Besenbäck in Rapottenstein is wonderful for the whole family. The beautifully landscaped farm is idyllically situated in a cul-de-sac with a magnificent garden and a large courtyard. The farm has been in the family's possession since 1821 and is located in a hilly and wooded area.

The holiday apartments

There are 3 beautiful holiday apartments to choose from at the Biohof Besenbäck. The holiday apartments have melodic names like Flora, Elisa, and Valentina. Holiday apartment Elisa is an 80 m² apartment for 4-6 people with 2 separate bedrooms, a cozy eat-in kitchen, and an extra toilet and bathroom. Holiday apartment Valentina is 70 m² and suitable for 4-6 people, featuring 2 bedrooms, an eat-in kitchen, as well as a bathroom and toilet. Holiday apartment Flora is 45 m² and includes one bedroom, another living-bedroom with a kitchenette, as well as a bathroom and toilet.

All apartments are equipped with an electric stove, refrigerator, central heating, satellite TV, and radio. Bed linen, towels, and cookware are provided, so you don't need to bring anything extra. The apartments are rented out all year round and can also be booked for weekends.

We stayed in the Elisa holiday apartment with our twins, and it was perfect for us. Very generously laid out and lovingly furnished. It was brilliant for us that we could go straight into the inner courtyard, so our children could always play in the yard or scurry over to the animals quite quickly. We also weren't far from the rustic cellar bar, where breakfast was served.

The animals

There are many animals at home on the farm that look forward to a visit. Many cattle live here with their calves, which love to be fed with fresh grass. The cattle are not used for milk production; the milk is only for the little calves. When it is no longer so hot, the cattle are allowed out into the meadow to eat grass. Right next door is a rabbit hutch with lots of rabbits. Anyone who dares can take a rabbit in a basket out to the meadow and pet it. A huge highlight for our children. When we were visiting, a doe had just had little bunnies, which were very cute.

Very good-natured and always worth a visit was the horse, Shiela. Our children always enjoyed feeding her dandelions. Shiela was also allowed out into the meadow to eat grass whenever it wasn't too hot. Chickens are also at home on the organic farm. During our visit, a hen had just had chicks and was always walking around the yard with them. Of course, cats cannot be missing on a farm; they were with us again and again and cuddled up to us.

Because some people often have a problem with the smell of cows and horses: that was not a problem here on this farm. Sure, there is a smell of animals, but not so bad that you would have had to wash your hair immediately after a visit to the cattle or the horse.

The leisure activities

In addition to visiting all the animals, there is much more waiting for you at the Biohof Besenbäck. Behind the farm, there is a small swimming pond that you can use as a guest. It is naturally landscaped and accessible via a few stone steps. The brave jump straight from the jetty into the pond. Those who prefer it more leisurely use the seating on the jetty or near the pond under a tree to sunbathe, read a good book, or simply enjoy nature.

Our children also really liked the large garden with the children's playground. Here, the children can use the wave slide, swings, or a lovely wooden tractor to let off steam. Furthermore, goals can also be used for playing soccer. There is a foosball table in the yard for fun matches. The children borrowed the small pedal tractors and the go-kart and zoomed around the yard.

A basketball hoop with many balls can also be used. In the evening, when the weather is nice, a barbecue and campfire area can provide a beautiful evening. If it's not quite so nice, the evening is spent in a rustic cellar bar.

A really great offer is also available directly at the Biohof Besenbäck: wood carving. Carving courses can be booked here for creative spirits, wood carvers, or those who want to become one. You receive practical and theoretical support in the workshop.

Culinary arts

The holiday apartments can be booked with an organic breakfast, which I can highly recommend. Fresh organic products are served in the rustic cellar bar. The vegetable and herb garden also provides seasonal produce again and again. Very good jams, ham, cheese, vegetables, or fruit as well as fresh pastries and a tasty juice were available right in the morning, so the day could only start well. Coffee is available via a coffee machine, or filter coffee is made.
You can also buy organic products such as grain, poppy seeds, potatoes, eggs, schnapps, syrup juices, and much more. Many products from the farm can be offered here.

Contact:

Judith & Fritz Besenbäck
Kleinnondorf 4
3911 Rapottenstein
+43 2828 7140
+43 664 73624405
[email protected]
www.biohof-urlaub.at

Culinary delights in the Waldviertel

A tip for those who want to eat well in the Waldviertel: Gasthof-Pension Seidl in Pretrobruck, Arbesbach. The inn is located at the edge of the village and is very idyllically situated near the forest. The restaurant offers comfortably furnished guest rooms and a beautiful terrace, where a playground for the children is also available. Swings, a slide, a large sandbox, a volleyball net, and balls offer a paradise for the children while the parents can enjoy the tasty food.

The dishes here are truly excellent. The gourmet salad was served with feta cheese, dried tomatoes, melon and mandarin pieces, a green pesto, delicious vegetables, and an avocado. The roast pork with potato dumplings, bacon cabbage, or tasty red cabbage is a true treat for the palate. The ice cream creations were also lovingly decorated with fruit or, for the children, with treats. Great importance is placed on quality products here and served to the guest with many details.

Conclusion: I really enjoyed the food here, and I think it's a pity that it's a bit far away for us. A clear recommendation from my side!

Contact:

Gasthof-Pension Seidl
Pretrobruck 17
3925 Arbesbach
+43 2813 410
[email protected]
www.gasthofseidl.at

Excursions in the Waldviertel

Guided tour of Rapottenstein Castle

• Duration: approx. 50 min.
• Age: all ages
• Admission: Children € 5.00, Adults € 9.–, Family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) € 20.–
• Stroller accessible: no
• Children's playground: no
• Dogs welcome: no
• Culinary: Yes, castle tavern right next door
• Guided tours: yes, at certain times

Founded in the 12th century, the Kuenringer castle impresses with its good state of preservation. Over the centuries, a defense system of 5 courtyards and 8 gates was created, and the interior captivates with beautiful arcades and frescoes. Here you can experience the medieval ambiance of a fortress that was never captured up close. You can marvel at an original winged altar from the 15th century and beautiful Gothic vaults. One room is equipped with old weapons, a suit of knight's armor, and a chainmail shirt. To better imagine life in a castle, you can also visit the privy. In the castle garden, the view and the large tower clock, which only shows the hours, are impressive. The castle dungeon is also authentic, giving an impression of the harshness of the penal system at that time. The castle has been owned by the Counts of Abensperg-Traun since 1664 and is constantly being restored. Groups can rent rooms and even live there for a few days. Some rooms are also rented out for events or weddings.

Conclusion: The castle is very impressive, even for the children. Our children really liked the tour and the castle. Of course, the big highlight for the children was the armory, where they were also allowed to hold a sword in their hands. It's a pity that the castle looks a bit 'cleared out'. A kitchen or a bedroom with objects would be really great.

Contact:

Rapottenstein Castle
Burg Rapottenstein 85
3911 Rapottenstein
+43 2828 8250
[email protected]
www.burg-rapottenstein.at

Arbesbach Bear Sanctuary

• Route length: n/a
• Duration: approx. 20 min.
• Age: all ages
• Admission: Children from 6 to 14 years € 4.50, Adults € 7.–, Family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) € 16.–
• Stroller accessible: yes/no – for all-terrain strollers, borrowing a handcart is possible
• Children's playground: yes
• Dogs welcome: yes
• Culinary: Yes, restaurant and snack bar available
• Guided tours: every Friday at 3 p.m.

The Arbesbach Bear Sanctuary is one of several bear rescue centers of the international animal welfare organization FOUR PAWS, which is based in the Waldviertel. Since 1998, brown bears from circuses or private ownership have found a beautiful, bear-appropriate home here. A near-natural area was created where the poor protégés can recover from their often traumatic past and (re)discover their species-specific instincts. Many bears have unsettled behavioral abnormalities and, in some cases, physical damage. Such as the bear Tom, who limps and is almost blind. Together with his brother Jerry, Tom had to perform many tricks as a circus bear in the Gänserndorf Safari Park and has now suffered major problems with his joints as a result. To help the animals process these experiences, the animal keepers come up with special enrichment methods. Objects of various kinds arouse the animals' curiosity, and food rations are widely distributed and hidden so that food-seeking behavior is reactivated. In addition, the bears can hide in caves during the winter for hibernation or cool off and play in the pond.

In the Bear Sanctuary, there is a low ropes course where children (or young-at-heart adults) can let off steam while climbing. In the play circus, children can climb over beautiful wooden equipment or swing on the swing. The highlight is, of course, the slide, which can be reached via the stairs. In the forest between the enclosures, you will find a bear track path with various play equipment and information boards. In the multimedia room, a documentary is shown, for example, about the tricks Tom & Jerry had to perform and how the bears came to the enclosures.

Conclusion: We really liked the Bear Sanctuary. It must be said that it is small and you could walk through it very quickly. However, you can also linger longer thanks to the ropes course, the playground, and the interactions at the enclosures. We saw a lot of bears out of the total of 8. The children, of course, liked the ropes course and the playground. I definitely think it's worth a visit and think it's great that the poor bears have such a beautiful home.

Contact:

Arbesbach Bear Sanctuary
Schönfeld 18
3925 Arbesbach
+43 2813 7604
[email protected]
www.baerenwald.at

Guided tour of the monastery school workshops in Schönbach

• Duration: approx. 60 min.
• Age: all ages
• Admission: Children from 6 to 15 years € 3.50, Adults € 5.50
• Stroller accessible: no
• Children's playground: no
• Dogs welcome: no
• Culinary: Yes, restaurant right next to the workshop
• Guided tours: possible at any time during opening hours

Old crafts are continued in the monastery school workshops. The tour begins on the top floor, and you dive into the world of soap making. In the fragrant workshop, soap making and its ingredients are explained in detail. During production, additives such as paraffins, petroleum products, preservatives, or synthetic fragrances are deliberately avoided. Furthermore, products from the surrounding area are used. Great exhibits are shown and can be sniffed. Right next door is the soap museum, where you can marvel at soaps from all over the world and from olden times. Furthermore, you can see old equipment for washing clothes here.

In the next room, there are exhibits by the painting farmer. Painted dishes, Easter eggs, and much more can be admired and also bought here. The fascinating thing here is that the artist simply paints away without templates.

Next, we move on to the craft of basket weaving. Here you can marvel at how magical baskets or panniers in the most diverse shapes and sizes are created from a bundle of willows.

Last but not least, there is a film screening for very precise details.

At the end, you reach the monastery shop, where you can purchase the hand-woven baskets and natural soaps. Here you will also find other products from the Waldviertel such as liqueurs, poppy seeds, and much more.

Conclusion: The tour was very interesting, the rooms lovingly prepared from the old classrooms. Our daughter was a little disappointed; she would have liked to try something herself, but there are separate courses for that. The monastery shop is well-stocked with very lovely things: baskets in all sizes and shapes, flower pots as tractors or tricycles, wooden figures with musical instruments, birdhouses, various soaps, food from the region, and much more. We also bought a few souvenirs from this shop that remind us of the beautiful holiday.

Contact:

Erlebnismuseumsverein Schönbach
Chairman Franz Höfer
3633 Schönbach 2
+43 2827 20777
+43 664 154 64 70
[email protected]
www.handwerk-erleben.at

Arbesbach Ruins

• Duration: approx. 5 min.
• Age: all ages
• Admission: a small entrance fee is to be paid when picking up the key
• Stroller accessible: no
• Children's playground: no
• Dogs welcome: n/a
• Culinary: Yes, bakery right at the parking lot
• Guided tours: no

In Arbesbach, you will find the Arbesbach castle ruins, which are also called the "molar of the Waldviertel". Only a tower remnant in the form of a ruin remains of the former Kuenringer castle in Arbesbach. The 25 m high tower remnant sits enthroned on a mighty granite cone in the middle of the market town. There is a parking lot right in Arbesbach at the foot of the ruins.

The key to the observation tower can be picked up and borrowed at any time from the Huber bakery for a small entrance fee. After a short walk from the parking lot, you are already standing in front of the large gate. Over 176 steps over the granite rock lead to the door of the tower of the former Kuenringer castle, which has been converted into an observation tower. Here, there is a wonderful view over the landscape of the Waldviertel to the Alpine chain from the Schneeberg to the Dachstein.

Conclusion: The ruins are quickly reached from the parking lot and, even though so little is left, are worth a visit. Unfortunately, we didn't get the key, but we were still able to enjoy a wonderful view after the climb up the many steps. Every castle is fascinating to me: the walls, the construction – it's incredible how people could build something like that back then. Unfortunately, it is so destroyed. For me, the visit was interesting, and next time we might get the key from the baker after all.

Contact:

Arbesbach Castle Ruins
Arbesbach 35
3925 Arbesbach
+43 2813 7000
[email protected]
www.arbesbach.at

Conclusion

We really enjoyed our time in the Waldviertel. At the Biohof Besenbäck, it was like a holiday with friends. We were welcomed very warmly, immediately on a first-name basis, so you don't feel like an intruder – on the contrary. Everything was explained briefly and uncomplicatedly, including what you could use and where everything is located. The farm is wonderful for the children, as they can move freely and there was always something to discover and play with. Also very positive is that there were hardly any cars here, as the road was a cul-de-sac, which made it wonderfully quiet and the children could simply cross the road to get to the playground.

Our children really liked the animals; the rabbits were allowed to be taken out of the cage and carried around in a basket. I was always afraid that the rabbits would hop away, but our children had that under control after all. The horse Shiela was always happy about the fresh dandelions, and the basketball hoop and foosball table were used again and again. Actually, you don't need to plan many excursions here – our children were very happy on the farm and wanted to return immediately after our planned program.

Judith and Fritz Besenbäck are true professionals as hosts, because they know how to stay in the background but were also always present. The last evening of our stay was very nice, where we chatted wonderfully with them on the terrace over a glass of wine. And I have to agree with our children: next time please don't just go for a weekend – it should be at least 1 week! But shhh – it's an insider tip!

Photos by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at

Also read: Farm holidays in South Tyrol