Meeting place for druids

Explore the mysterious stone formations of the druids in Yspertal

The Druid Trail is a continuation of the Ysperklamm Hiking Trail. As such it combines the beautiful and impressive ravine landscape of the Ysperklamm with a discovery tour of mysterious stone circles set by druids.

The actual meeting place for druids is the combination of an outer stone circle and an inner stone circle. It is assumed that the number of stones had to correspond exactly to the number of druids present at the time.

These formations of granite corestones are also highly interesting in terms of geomancy. Owing to the special geological situation of the Waldviertel, a much larger number of “geomagnetic anomalies” occur there than elsewhere. For instance, the central stone at the druid meeting place is subject to very high rates of dextrorotary magnetic oscillation. Lingering for extended periods at this spot can trigger anything from slight feelings of dizziness all the way to hallucinations.

Druid Trail

The Druid Trail begins where the Ysperklamm ends. A number of mysterious cup marks and strange stone formations along the trail suggest that these spots may have been Celtic cult sites, thus the name of the circular trail.

Many of the names the rock formations bear today were coined by Yspertal Pastor Hans Wick, who devoted years of research to these mysterious natural phenomena. Among the rocks that can be viewed along the way are the “Phallus with Vulva”, the “Sitting Dog”, the “Sphinx” or the “Standing Cup” all the way to “Böndel”, a stone circle comprising 13 stones perched on a hilltop with a magnificent view.