map

Allentsteig is situated at an altitude of 550 m in the Waldviertel region of Lower Austria in the area of the springs of the river Kleine Thaya. Around 1080 the Kuenringer family built a castle at this place which became known as 'Tygia' or 'Tigia', a name of Illyrian origin which is related to the later name of the river, Thaya. A (possibly falsified) document of 1132 refers to the establishment of an independent parish. From 'Adeloldstige' in the 12th/13th century, the name developed into the modern 'Allentsteig' by about 1700. The first mentioning as a town dates from 1380, the right to hold markets was granted in 1403.

The whole area between Allentsteig, Kamp, Stift Zwettl and Neupölla, consisting of the market town Döllersheim including 50 villages with about 7,000 inhabitants, was evacuated and used for a military training area from 1938 on by the German Wehrmacht. From 1945 until 1955 it was used by the Soviet Army. Since 1957 it is in use by the Austrian army, the training area was reduced in size to 157 km² and named after Allentsteig.