1st day stage: Drasenhofen to Poysdorf
16.5 km from Drasenhofen to Poysdorf
With a length of 16.5 km, the first day stage from Drasenhofen to Poysdorf leads you past picturesque vineyards and through lovely cellar alleys all the way to the wine and sparkling wine city of Poysdorf.
Starting point of the Way of St. James in the Weinviertel region and therefore, also of the first day stage, is Drasenhofen in the northern Weinviertel region. The starting point of the Way of St. James is located at the municipal office, and an information point inside the municipal office provides you with the most important information. You can also collect the first stamp in your pilgrimage pass in the parish church of Drasenhofen.
On the way to Falkenstein
After some 4 km, you reach the church in Kleinschweinbarth and the path continues over Mount Kreuzberg in Stützenhofen and Mount Dürnberg. Surrounded by vineyards, you continue your hike in the direction of Falkenstein. On this section, the Way of St. James in the Weinviertel region merges with the educational trail Falkenstein where display boards inform on everything there is to know about wine growing in the Weinviertel region. You should allow time for a short detour to Mount Kreuzberg which is located directly along the way. Apart from stone figures from the 17th century and a funeral chapel, this point offers marvellous views of the gentle hills of the Weinviertel region, its picturesque vineyards and also the wine town of Falkenstein with its castle ruins from the 11th century towering above the town on a limestone rock. The shady Lourdes grotto with its Bründl well that invites one to take a rest is the next stage on the way to the first St. James' church along the way.
Through cellar alleys and forests
You will leave the town trough Oagossn alley, Falkenstein's cellar alley with two opposing rows of cellars and some 65 press houses and follow the path trough Falkenstein forest in the direction of Poysdorf. The shades the forest creates, together with the scent of the wood and the trees put you in a completely different landscape which shows the many facets of the Weinviertel region. Apart from using the common Way of St. James signs as a means for orientation, it is also recommendable to follow the red-white-red long distance hike markings. Once you have successfully tackled the forest section, you will once again be surrounded by vineyards and vines and continue your hike to the wine and sparkling wine city of Poysdorf and reach the inner city via Radyweg alley, a cellar alley lined with robinia (acacia) trees.
After you let the day come to an end in one of the Heurigen bars and spend the night at a friendly host's in Poysdorf, you can start the second day stage completely refreshed.
Things worth seeing along the first day stage:
- Alte Kaiserstraße, jetzt Kellergasse
- Pfarrkirche Drasenhofen
- Kirche „unserer lieben Frau“ Kleinschweinbarth
- Gedenkkreuz Südmährer
- Pfarrkirche Stützenhofen
- Weinlehrpfad Falkenstein
- Kreuzberg Falkenstein
- Lourdesgrotte + Bründlquelle Falkenstein
- Jakobskirche Falkenstein
- Kellergasse „Oagossn“ in Falkenstein
- Kellergasse Radyweg in Poysdorf
- Vino Versum WEIN + TRAUBEN Welt Poysdorf
- Schlumberger Sektwelt Poysdorf