Juniorcamp.at – Waldviertler Jugenddorf Allentsteig

The first vacation camp was organized by the Allentsteig tourist office in 1983. After a successful trial gallop, the "Waldviertler Jugenddorf Allentsteig" association was founded in 1984 , which organizes an annual 8-week vacation camp for children aged 6 - 16 in the summer months of July and August.

Since 1985, the camp has been held right next to the Allentsteig leisure center. Until 1989, the washing and toilet facilities as well as the cashier's office were also used as an administration and recreation room. In 1990, the Allentsteig youth camp site was opened in its existing form. With the support of the province of Lower Austria and the municipality of Allentsteig, 3 cabin and box rooms of the bath were rebuilt and 2 log cabins with 4 rooms each and a total of 30 beds and a new sanitary building were erected. The camp meadow and a piece of wooded land up to the lakeside promenade were purchased by the association; the youth camp site covers a total area of approx. 6,000 m². In 1999, the club began to provide its own catering, initially in the leased lakeside restaurant and from 2005 in the new kitchen in the camp itself.
Of course, the facility complies with the legal requirements and regular inspections by the Province of Lower Austria, the Zwettl district authority etc. guarantee the safety of the young guests. As many children also come to the camp with the support of various public authorities, the checks are more extensive and the association is happy to comply with them, as this transparency guarantees parents the safety of their children.

The association's offer is aimed at children and young people aged between 6 and 16, many of whom come from Vienna and Lower Austria, but children also come from other federal states and neighboring countries. There are 4 dates each summer, with up to 130 children coming each time, most for 2 weeks, some for 1 or 3 weeks.

As the young guests also want to be looked after, there are around 45 holiday jobs available in the summer, from supervisors and camp leaders to kitchen staff and serving meals. From November, interested parties can apply via the homepage www.juniorcamp.at. Of course, many regular supervisors come back, but every year some leave because they have finished their vocational training or have families of their own. The minimum age for supervisors is 18 years, a pedagogical education is not a prerequisite, but does not hurt, after all, up to 140 young people apply every year.

An important reason for setting up the vacation camp was to boost the local economy, as overnight stays in the youth village account for a high percentage of Allentsteig's guest nights and guest room providers also benefit, as parents regularly check in and spend days or weeks here. The meat comes from the Klang country butcher's, rolls and bread are delivered fresh daily from the Fischer bakery, we get our milk from the Marksteiner organic farm, and the food markets, tobacconist, toy store etc. also benefit from the vacation camp. Every summer, the children alone spend around €50,000 in pocket money in the village.

Unfortunately, there is no longer a local riding stable, so they move to Hausbach. Tennis is becoming increasingly popular with the kids and has been offered again since 2021. Fishing at Allentsteiger Stadtsee and paintballing at Paintballarena.at have been a highlight for many visitors for years. Up to 13 young fishermen come to each event. Since the youth village was founded, the sports facilities of the youth center can thankfully be used, so many ball sports are on the program. The location next to the leisure center is of course ideal, during the vacations everyone hopes for nice weather and what could be nicer than jumping into the cool water. And in Allentsteig, the kids even have the choice between the pool and the lake.

Sport is one of the focal points, no question, but creative children will also find something to do, as the program includes a wide variety of handicrafts, from FIMO to pottery and silk painting. The third focus, "action and fun", includes campfires and barbecues as well as night and off-road games, Allentsteig quizzes, various game shows, disco ... It is important that there are many different options so that there is something suitable for every young guest. This seems to work, as around 50% of the children come back, and some even return later as supervisors.

If you would like to know more about the youth village, you can find more information and pictures on the homepage: www.juniorcamp.at. During the vacation period, the camp leaders also post several times a day on Facebook, which can also be found under Juniorcamp. Many people from Allentsteig have been liking the site for years.

We have almost 40 years of youth village behind us, how many more will there be? Let's be surprised, the next generation is already at work, ongoing changes and innovations should make another 40 years possible.