Schneeberg

The Schneeberg rises as a rounded summit above Kirchschlag in the Waldviertel, a forested plateau in northern Lower Austria. Its flat northern slopes offer little to see, but the southern side drops away into the Spitzer Graben, a deep valley that on clear days frames views as far as the foothills of the Alps. The Jauerling, another high point a little farther south, stands just high enough to clip the horizon and keep the very farthest ridges from view. The mountain’s modest height and gentle contours belie its value to walkers and sightseers. From the top of the Schneeberg a broad sweep of the Waldviertel unfolds, its patchwork of fields and woods stretching away under wide skies. The contrast between the quiet upland plateau and the distant Alpine skyline makes the scene unexpectedly grand for such a low summit. Paths wind up the southern flank through beech and spruce woods, emerging on open grassland where the wind moves freely across the rounded crest. The summit itself is marked by a small cross and a modest stone cairn, with room for several people to stand and take in the panorama. On the clearest evenings the glow of the Alps lingers in the south-west, while the forested hills of the Waldviertel roll away in every other direction.