Popis
This hike already begins with a highlight, namely the baroque pilgrimage church “Our Dear Lady” at Hafnerberg, which should be visited before starting the hike to see the baroque high altar and the ceiling fresco. From the church, you then reach the bright pine forest with just a few steps, where a Way of the Cross with 14 stations leads slightly uphill to the Fuchsbauern chapel. Along the way, you pass a mystical place with a hole stone. A small detour takes the hiker to the mystical place Druidenstein, a rock needle on a mountain crest. On the way to the Fuchsbauer farm, you pass the calendar with the Visur hill and further hole stones. The view extends here from Peilstein over St. Pankraz and, in the other direction, from Reisalpe over Araburg to the Hocheck. After the turnoff at the Hübner Cross, you descend through the forest into the Eisgraben via the Ganslsteig path, following the valley a little before climbing to the Schacherkreuz. Along an easy forest road, you will soon reach Klein Mariazell, going slightly downhill. Before stopping at the Kirchenwirt, you should definitely visit the newly renovated baroque basilica of Klein Mariazell (a former monastery church).
The path to Altenmarkt now runs along the road until shortly before the village, where you reach the third pilgrimage church of this circular hike, the Altenmarkt pilgrimage church, crossing a large meadow past the Kögl Cross. This is the oldest church in the upper Triesting valley, whose origins date back to the 11th century. After visiting this church and the idyllic cemetery, you walk along a road to the plague column “Black Mother of God” and through a settlement to Hofnerbruck and the Nepomuk chapel. A steep ascent on a forest road leads back to Hafnerberg.
Výchozí bod trasy
Church at Hafnerberg
Popis trasy Hike 3 pilgrimage churches along idyllic trails
From the parking lot north of the church, follow the signs to Kleinmariazell: WWW 06 red-white-red
Via Sacra circular hiking trail, “Mystical places, Druidenstein and Calendar” and climbs steeply at the chapel “In honor of Moricus”. (The panorama circular hiking trail branches off to the right here.)
On a forest road over a saddle and then on a beautiful, wide hiking trail, you pass 14 stations of the Way of the Cross. After passing through a gate of the 14th station and a hole stone, the bright meadows around the Fuchsbauer chapel are reached. The path leads slightly downhill to another gate, in front of which you climb briefly left on a path to a wooded hill where the Druidenstein is located. Back to the gate and flat across the meadow, you come to the Fuchsbauer farm (Calendar, hole stones) along which you walk eastwards with a view. 300 m after the farm, you reach the Hübner Cross and turn left on the asphalt road following the red-white-red marking. After another 200 m, a path branches off to the left from the road to the meadows, and you follow the signs WWW 06, red-white-red marking, Via Sacra circular trail, Kleinmariazell 1 h, on this meadow path with beautiful views. Soon you enter the forest, cross a shallow ditch, and continue to follow the red-white-red marking downhill. This is how the “Gansl Steig” is reached, which leads steeply, partly muddy and rocky through the forest down into the Eisgraben. Cross the road and then cross the Klauswies creek on a bridge opposite. 30 m after the bridge, turn right onto a meadow path (red-white-red), which leads into a wider hiking path through spruce forest. After a wooden footbridge, follow a path along a brook until a forest road is reached. Only 30 m to the left on the forest road, then a discreet, initially overgrown path branches off to the left (signpost). This leads uphill, partly wet and muddy, until another forest road is reached again. Shortly after, turn left on this to reach the saddle with the Schachner Cross. At the forest road junction, go straight ahead (signpost and red-white-red marking) on a forest road that initially leads in 3 switchbacks and then comfortably along a brook to Kleinmariazell. Left or right around the monastery wall leads to the Kirchenwirt and the basilica. From here 1:45 h.
From the basilica, turn south towards Altenmarkt and follow the valley road (signposts Via Sacra circular trail, 3 churches circular trail, Altenmarkt; WWW 448) until after 700 m you reach St. Corona street. Follow this country road to the left (Via Sacra circular trail) for 1.2 km. Immediately after the last house, a turnstile leads onto a pasture (yellow sign: Via Sacra circular trail, Altenmarkt and sign Warning cattle drive). The meadow is crossed via partly inconspicuous meadow paths, slightly uphill and then staying above the slope, reaching the Kögl Cross. After a stretch through the forest, the Altenmarkt pilgrimage church comes into view.
Leave the cemetery now through the lower gate, do not follow the yellow signs Via Sacra, Vienna Pilgrim Way (which shortly leads to the main square of Altenmarkt), but turn left on the road (sign: Via Sacra circular trail, 3 churches circular trail, Hafnerberg). Past the “Black Mother of God” always follow the road straight ahead (marking WWW 404, red-white-red), leaving the town area and briefly descending through forest to the “Hofnerbruck”. Cross the bridge and on the other side, ascending briefly, you reach the “Nepomuk chapel” and the federal road B 11. Cross the road and then left on a partly steep forest road (blue marking) back to the starting point Hafnerberg.
