Nordwaldkammweg II Tour 11 Eisenhut - Rading

Starting from the village of Eisenhut, the NWKW II/Nordwaldkamm Panorama follows the yellow-marked horse railway path uphill to the border. From the Eisenhut border crossing, the Nordwaldkammweg remains on the Austrian side close to the border (Grenzerweg) up to the boundary stone III/18, where it crosses into the Czech Republic. The Nordwaldkammweg II leads in the Czech Republic – marked with the blue-white ridge logo plus the addition II – downhill to the towpath, which it follows west for 5 minutes to the Tabor rest area. After this rest area, the paved towpath continues downhill to the viewpoint Nad Ceskym Herslakem (N48° 35.987’, E14° 25.835). Here there is the option to take a detour following the yellow KCT marking to the Horní Dvořiště station (Summerauerbahn Linz - Budweis - Prague). However, the Nordwaldkammweg II follows the forest road south to the place where the old forester's house stood and offers a beautiful view towards Zulissen and to Sternstein (N48° 35.864’, E14° 26.026’).

We are in the section where the Nordwaldkammweg II had to be diverted over Ceske Herslak and Deutsch Hörschlag due to difficulties with the Kerschbaum hunters. Unfortunately, the old school path from Kerschbaum to Cesky Herslak had to be abandoned and the route led over Deutsch Hörschlag. GPS data for the old school path (public land from the border to Kerschbaum) is available, and this path is shown on the attached map and is more pleasant to hike than the official Nordwaldkammweg II. At the former old forester's house at N48° 35.864’, E14° 26.026’, the old school path branches off and reaches above Kerschbaum (N48° 35.206', E14° 27.738') back to the official Nordwaldkammweg II.

If you do not follow the old school path, walk downhill along the forest edge marked blue-white to the boundary brook (Simonsteg). Although the Summerauerbahn railway line is nearby, it is never crossed. You stay on the south side of the railway line and follow it to the Summerauerbahn crossing at the beginning of Deutsch Hörschlag. The village of Deutsch Hörschlag is passed through (asphalt) almost to the village end sign, then walk uphill at the end of the houses to Kerschbaumersattel. At the next paved crossroad, turn left for 200m (here the old school path comes from the left), across the meadow and through a village lane to the tracks of the horse railway, then 200 m along the railway tracks to the horse railway museum. The horse railway museum in Kerschbaum can be visited and you can also ride a piece of the horse railway.

Afterwards, we stay on the yellow-marked horse railway path on the horse railway track Linz - Budweis and follow the detour due to S10 construction via Heiligenberg to the horse railway bridge near Rainbach (only 15 minutes to Rainbach, accommodation options, connection possibility V9 to the classic Nordwaldkammweg towards Freistadt), where we meet path R9, follow it briefly, and then hike through Birau to Eibenstein. There the old cult site Heidenstein (Celtic sacrificial bowl) is visited and relaxation is offered on the awarded Chakra trail. Then it goes downhill to the Adam and Lorenz mill (marking boundary Freistadt – Bad Leonfelden).

From the Lorenz mill (possible refreshment) at the Kettenbach, the continuation leads over Stiftung (old customs house) and over Allhut (rest area) to the romantic Grassl mill with waterwheel. The Grassl mill is a well-renovated old mill at the confluence of the Granitzbach into the Grasslbach. Here, as at the Lorenz mill, the 10-mills hiking trail (hiking trail 154) passes by. It now goes uphill to Böhmdorf. Just after the village, the Nordwaldkammweg turns right onto a gravel road. When after crossing the forest you see the fish ponds, you are near Rading with the possibility to detour 700 m from the path to the medieval Schwedenschanze fortress at the Czech border (border crossing for pedestrians, cyclists, and riders, old salt route) before heading on foot via the connecting path V8 or by taxi to accommodation in Bad Leonfelden.