The low mountain range covers an area of about 20 x 30 km and lies roughly within the triangle formed by the towns of České Budějovice, Freistadt and Gmünd.

The Lower Austrian part of the Freiwald is defined as a rural subregion (Teilraum) according to the conservation concept of the state.

[1] After die Wende, a nature park was established called the Novohradské hory with many natural attractions like the Terčino údolí, Žofínský prales (Sophien-Urwald) and Hojná Voda (Heilbrunn).

As a result of its location on the Iron Curtain, the German Bohemians were forced out of the area after the Second World War and it remained inaccessible to tourists.

In the Gratzen Mountains rise the Lainsitz, Malše, Pohořský potok, Strobnitz and Schwarzau rivers.