Balancing rock in the Schrems forest, Natural monument in Schrems forest, Lower Austria

The Wackelstein im Schremser Wald is a granite boulder on the Frühappel hill, 650 m southwest of Amaliendorf in the municipality of Schrems. It is about 3.5 m high, 5.0 m long and weighs 105 t, with a bulge on its upper surface. A circle of granite stones, possibly natural, surrounds it, and traces of preparation for blasting are visible.

The rock was declared a natural monument in 1927. It still bears marks of preparations to blast it apart, a plan never carried out. Local lore links it to the nearby Basisstein: the devil is said to have stumbled and kicked one stone onto the other, which has wobbled ever since.

Local legend says the devil stumbled and kicked one stone onto another, and that the rock only wobbles when pressed at one specific spot on its left edge. Until the 20th century, people crawled through the narrow angle between base stone and block during the waning moon to cure lumbago.

The site is accessible through marked hiking trails that connect to parking areas near Schrems. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear as the forest floor can be uneven, and it is wise to check weather conditions before heading out.

Despite its massive size, the stone yields slightly when gentle pressure is applied at specific points, surprising many visitors. These subtle shifts reveal that it is not completely rigid but gently mobile on its narrow base.