Travel with Manfred

Travelogues from around the world

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Copyright © 1998 by Manfred P.. All rights reserved.

Oct 4, 1998

Can You be in 3 Places at the Same Time?

Yes. Try Ploeckenstein

by

Manfred P.

Keywords: Austria, Ploeckenstein, Dreilaendereck, Zwettl, Bad Leonfelden, tourist, travel trip report, travel log, travelogue.

Can one be in 3 places at the same time? Physics says no. But I have pictures to prove it. We have done it this weekend.

Alan, a friend from South Africa was visiting for the weekend. With my Dad gone and me not owning a car it was necessary to rent a car. To celebrate the weekend I didn’t rent just some car, but a convertible with a star in the front and 200 horses under the hood. We started the weekend with a joyride on the Autobahn doing 150 mph (240 km/h). The pedal wasn’t to the metal, but other cars kept continuously popping up in the fast lane making it impossible to ever reach the top speed. C’est la vie. We were crazy enough to take the top off at 11 p.m. to feel what it’s like to drive a convertible at 45 degrees (11C) and 125 mph (200 km/h). It was cold, but with the windows rolled up, the heater turned to the max and the seat lowered, it was bearable. The sound system automatically adjusts the volume to the speed to compensate for the increased air stream noise. People we passed must have thought we are crazy; and we are. It was a lot of fun nonetheless.

As highlight for my friend we planned a hike to the Plöckenstein which is situated near the border of the 3 countries Austria, Germany and Czech Republic. On the way we did a little bit of sightseeing and shopping in the Mühlviertel. Mühlviertel is a region north of the river Danube that is best known for its rolling hill landscape and farming. We stopped in little villages like Zwettl and Bad Leonfelden; saw some deer along the way and eventually made it to Oberschwarzenberg. Two miles north of Oberschwarzenberg the road ends in a parking lot. The three of us hiked through the forest. Geologically this region is significantly older than the Alps. It is not only a lot older but also a lot lower. Granite boulders are in abundance. Most of them are completely covered in moss or green grass giving them a very gentle, well-rounded shape. The moss is rich in color and moist. I love the softness of walking on these moss pillows.

All this richness in nature we expected. What we did not expect was to see so many soldiers. First a handful of German soldiers showed up on the trail. Then another handful. Then some Austrians; thereafter Czech soldiers; after a while US soldiers and even Polish soldiers. All of them looked like they were on a leisure stroll through the woods. Smoking, eating chocolate drinking Coke and carrying only a light backpack. They had 9 miles down and 6 to go. The cold war is definitely over (Thank heavens.) This hike must be some task to keep the soldiers from getting bored in the barracks.

After 90 minutes we reach the top of Plöckenstein. At 1,379m (4,200 ft) it is the highest hill in Mühlviertel I know of. The peak was marked with a bordersign on top of a few rocks. On the one side is Austria, the other the Czech Republic. My South African friend was happy to have the opportunity not only of visiting Austria but also having been to the Czech Republic. We took some pictures of us and the Czech trail signs.

From here a 15 minute hike along blueberry fields brought us to the 3-Country Corner (Dreiländereck), the point where Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic meet. Alan climbed the monument and had his right leg in Austria, his left leg in the Czech Republic and his butt in Germany. So, who says one cannot be in 3 places at the same time?

We followed a little creek downhill along the German border. The forest was beautiful, the creek and the wind talking to us and the mean, wet roots tried to make us fall but never fully succeeded. It started to rain but the branches acted as umbrellas and kept us reasonably dry.

Another 90 minutes and we were back at the car. It was really pouring now and the roof had to stay up. On the way back we stopped briefly at the monastery in Schlägl, had a quick look at the church and the wax shop and museum, before continuing on to Linz.

With a different couple of people we went for another hike near Zwettl the next day. The weather god was even more considerate. We had sunshine. Roof-down, my friends enjoyed driving the Mercedes. Right behind the church in Zwettl starts a trail that educates people on bees, which form a cornerstone of the local economy. After just a couple of the educational boards we started to look for mushrooms in the forest and quickly were on a completely different trail until we eventually ended up just walking cross-country across farmland, jumping across a 2-yard wide creek and making our own trail through the forest. We found a pound of mushrooms, enough to make dinner. With our lungs filled with fresh air but barely any new knowledge about bees we returned to the city.

And before I forget it. No, there are no fences or walls along the Austrian-German-Czech border. There are no border controls for miles. One can freely walk around. There are no more border passport controls between Germany and Austria since about 1997. In a few years when the Czech Republic will be part of the European Union the border controls between Austria and the Czech Republic will cease to exist as well. It will be an even better Europe.