Rohrbach District

Bezirk Rohrbach lies in the far north-west of Upper Austria, where the land rises from rolling farmland near the Danube to forested ridges along the Czech border. The district stretches over 80 kilometres from Haslach an der Mühl in the south to Ulrichsberg in the north. Small rivers like the Große Mühl and the Kleine Mühl carve gentle valleys through the countryside. Forests cover more than half the area, giving the region its name Mühlviertel. The highest point, the Hochficht, reaches 1,338 metres and is crowned by a winter sports area. The region has long been known for its craft traditions. The village of Schwarzenberg am Böhmerwald became famous in the 19th century for its wooden toy-making. Nearby Sarleinsbach once housed a large ironworks that supplied tools across the empire. Today visitors still find workshops where artisans carve wooden figures or forge small tools by hand. The district also preserves traces of medieval pilgrimage routes that once led to local shrines. Travellers can follow quiet country roads past farmsteads with red roofs and white walls. At Aigen-Schlägl a large monastery church stands beside a lake where ducks glide on the water. In winter the Hochficht area draws skiers and snowboarders to its slopes. In summer hikers explore marked trails that lead to viewpoints over the Bohemian Forest. The district’s small towns offer cafés where visitors can taste local honey and fresh pastries.