A 480-metre-high castle hill, a fortified late Gothic parish church and several different trails give Kirchschlag in the Bucklige Welt a range of travel highlights. The castle ruins on the castle hill preserve the remains of the castle built in the 12th century. When planning your visit, you can first decide whether architectural history, a short hike, an e-bike tour or time for swimming should be the main focus.
Castle, fortified church and Passion Plays
The parish church was built by the Pottendorfers in the 15th century and later fortified. Its features include machicolations in the attic, loopholes and partly bricked-up tracery windows. The particularly fortified churchyard gate also shapes the complex; it is the only surviving gate of its kind in the Bucklige Welt.
The Hofhaus was built in 1651 as a manor house by Johann Christoph, Count of Puchheim. A wall of busts adjoins it; this is unique in the transalpine region. The Kirchschlag Rose Garden includes an adjoining scented rose garden at the foot of the parish church’s imposing walls.
Since 1932, the Kirchschlag Passion Plays have dramatically depicted the suffering of Christ the Redeemer and are performed every five years. Around 400 amateur performers take part. If the plays are the reason for your trip, check the specific performance dates in advance.
On foot and by e-bike
The “Easy Trail to Kirchschlag Castle Ruins” is short, suitable for strollers and leads to the ruins. The Kirchschlag D13 Forest Nature Trail is also a short hike. It passes by the castle ruins and teaches visitors a great deal about the forest; it is family-friendly. The trails therefore differ mainly in their relationship to the ruins: one leads there, while the other passes by them and combines the hike with a forest theme.
For a bike ride, the Rosengarten Route is an e-bike route from Kirchschlag via Lembach and Stang and back to Kirchschlag. It forms a loop with several named stops. There are different ways to get around, on foot or by bike, without implying that they form a single route or take a particular amount of time.
Burgbad and getting there
Kirchschlag Burgbad has two swimming pools with a diving tower and water slide, a children’s paddling pool and a large sunbathing lawn. While the bathing area is open, you can also use a table tennis table and a beach volleyball court free of charge. Before your visit, check whether the pool is open at your preferred time.
You can reach Burgbad by public transport via the Aspang Railway to Edlitz-Grimmenstein station. From there, take the regional bus to the Kirchschlag/Gemeindeamt stop, then walk for about five minutes. Check the timetables before you travel.
Discover more destinations: Bad Erlach, Stollhof, Hochneukirchen, Pernitz, Muggendorf, Miesenbach, Winzendorf, Bad Schönau.
For the broader travel overview: Wiener Neustadt.
