01 - Overview
The Kampseen "Volt" cycle loop circles the upper Kamp valley in the Waldviertel over some 128 kilometres - from Rastenfeld across the rolling uplands around Gföhl and the quiet Hornerwald down to the three Kamp reservoirs of Ottenstein, Dobra and Thurnberg and back. A scenically varied, distinctly hilly circuit with around 2,200 metres of climbing.
The upper Kamp valley is one of the most water-rich corners of the Waldviertel: here the Kamp is dammed into the three large reservoirs of Ottenstein, Dobra and Thurnberg, set among wooded granite ridges and open uplands. The "Volt" loop ties this reservoir landscape into a circuit. From Rastenfeld it first runs across the western uplands to Wietzen with its sculpture garden and on to Lichtenau im Waldviertel, watched over by the ruined Lichtenfels castle high above the Kamp, climbs through the broad Gföhler Wald to the highest point of the tour, and reaches the market town of Gföhl. Past Jaidhof with its castle the route works into the high, thinly settled forest country between the Gföhler Wald and the Hornerwald and drops to St. Leonhard am Hornerwald. The final stage descends into the Kamp valley - by Pölla with the ruined Dobra castle and the old town of Krumau am Kamp with its fortress - and follows the chain of the three reservoirs back to Rastenfeld, with Ottenstein castle towering above them. The loop is mostly paved on quiet side roads, with sections of gravel and farm tracks, and with around 2,200 metres of climbing over 128 kilometres it is in constant rolling up and down.
- Regions
- Lower Austria
- Start
- Rastenfeld
- Finish
- Rastenfeld
- Surface
- Paved
- Network
- Regional
- Best season
- April - October
- Signposting
- fully signposted
- Road-bike friendly
- Yes · Fully pavedpartly estimated
100 % paved, longest unpaved stretch 183 m.
02 - Stages
3 stages · 128 km
01Rastenfeld - GföhlRastenfeld · Wietzen · Lichtenau im Waldviertel · Gföhl48 km
From Rastenfeld the loop runs across the open uplands of the western Waldviertel to Wietzen, where some fifty stone sculptures fill a sprawling sculpture garden on the edge of the village. Past Lichtenau im Waldviertel - watched over by the ruined Lichtenfels castle high above the Kamp - the route climbs through the broad Gföhler Wald to the highest point of the tour (around 725 m) and finally reaches the windswept upland town of Gföhl. A long, steadily rolling opening stage over fields, forests and granite ridges.
- Ascent
- 789 m
- Descent
- 781 m
- Duration
- approx. 4-5 h
- Surface
- Paved, some gravel
Surface (measured): paved
02Gföhl - St. Leonhard am HornerwaldGföhl · Jaidhof · Obertautendorferamt · Wolfshoferamt · St. Leonhard am Hornerwald41 km
From Gföhl the route carries on to Jaidhof with its castle and estate, before working into the high, thinly settled forest country between the Gföhler Wald and the Hornerwald. Over quiet farms and hamlets - Obertautendorferamt, Wolfshoferamt - the stage heads east and gradually drops to St. Leonhard am Hornerwald, the gateway to the wooded Hornerwald ridge. Lonely, forested and calm - the most natural-feeling section of the loop.
- Ascent
- 625 m
- Descent
- 660 m
- Duration
- approx. 3.5-4 h
- Surface
- Paved, some gravel
Surface (measured): paved
03St. Leonhard am Hornerwald - RastenfeldSt. Leonhard am Hornerwald · Wegscheid am Kamp · Pölla · Krumau am Kamp · Ottenstein · Rastenfeld39 km
The final stage dives down into the Kamp valley, the scenic climax of the loop: at Wegscheid am Kamp the route reaches its lowest point at around 342 m. Past Altpölla and Neupölla - within sight of the ruined Dobra castle above its reservoir - and the old town of Krumau am Kamp with its fortress, the route now follows the chain of the three Kamp reservoirs: Thurnberg, Dobra and the wide Ottenstein lake, over which Ottenstein castle stands guard. From Peygarten-Ottenstein it is only a short stretch back to Rastenfeld. A constant up and down between reservoirs, gorges and uplands - the most climbing of the whole tour.
- Ascent
- 817 m
- Descent
- 793 m
- Duration
- approx. 4 h
- Surface
- Paved, some gravel
Surface (measured): paved
03 - Elevation
Elevation across the full distance - move the cursor to read altitude and kilometre.
Elevation profile over 128 km. Ascent 2231 m, descent 2234 m. Lowest point 348 m, highest point 718 m.
Elevation from OSM geometry + Digital Terrain Model (DGM) Austria (10 m).
Hover the profile to see the point on the map - and vice versa.
04 - POIs & Services
- Wietzen sculpture garden
- Lichtenfels castle ruins
- Jaidhof castle
- Hornerwald forest ridge
- Dobra castle ruins & reservoir
- Krumau am Kamp fortress
- Ottenstein reservoir
- Ottenstein castle
Services along the route
- Bike serviceCycle workshops in the larger towns (Gföhl, around Krems); e-bike service in the Kampseen region.
- E-bikeCharging and rental stations along the way - a clear advantage on a loop this hilly.
- Bett+BikeCyclist-friendly accommodation around the Kamp reservoirs and across the Waldviertel.
- Drinking waterPublic fountains and water points in the market towns along the loop.
Service points along the route
- Drinking water6
- Charging station14
Service points from OpenStreetMap. Coverage may be incomplete, some fountains are seasonal - verify before you rely on them.
05 - Impressions
Ottenstein reservoir with Lichtenfels ruin, which the Volt loop passes at the Lichtenfels viewpointPhoto: Ottenstein reservoir with Lichtenfels castle ruin · Uoaei1 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Aerial of the Dobra reservoir, one of the Kamp lakes along the loopPhoto: Aerial view of the Dobra reservoir on the Kamp · flightlog · CC BY-SA 2.0 The Kamp with its riverside path above the Ottenstein reservoir, followed by the Volt loopPhoto: Kamp river above the Ottenstein reservoir · Uoaei1 · CC BY-SA 4.0
06 - Public transit
- Kamptalbahn (Krems - Hadersdorf - Horn)The Kamp valley railway follows the lower Kamp; the nearest stations (Gars-Thunau, Rosenburg, Horn) lie downstream and connect to the loop along the Kamp valley. Bikes carried.
- Krems an der Donau (Danube Cycle Path / Franz-Josefs-Bahn)Krems is the rail gateway to the region: from there by regional bus or via the Kamptalbahn into the Kampseen area; connection to the Danube Cycle Path.
The upper Kamp valley is rail-poor - no station sits directly on the loop. Best arrive via Krems an der Donau and continue by the Kamptalbahn or bus; the nearest Kamptalbahn stations lie downstream along the Kamp.
07 - GPX & TCX download
Download for GPS devices & apps
Clean track with elevation - imports as a single tour, compatible with Komoot, Garmin, Wahoo, Strava, RideWithGPS, OsmAnd.
Download stages individually (3)
Route derived from OpenStreetMap geometry - may differ slightly from on-the-ground signage. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0) · Elevation © DGM Austria (CC BY 3.0 AT). Redistribute with attribution.