Although this book begins with the introduction of the Mühlviertler Jakobsweg, the start of the path, and thus the book, is not in Austria but in the Czech Republic, specifically in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Cesky Krumlov (formerly known as Mühlviertlerisch and Krumau). From this venerable city, the Mühlviertler Jakobsweg stretches approximately 40 km over gently rolling hills and through extensive forest landscapes. These are the most beautiful and also the most pristine (primeval) forests in Central Europe, until it reaches Austrian territory at St. Oswald, namely the (present-day) Mühlviertel. This area is also hilly and undulating. However, the forests are no longer as wild, as wooded, or as vast—here, the hand of the farmer has always shaped the land without interruption. The Mühlviertel is a beautiful combination of well-maintained nature and equally well-maintained culture.