Wachau World Heritage Trail 05: Mühldorf-Maria Laach (Jauerling-Wachau Nature Park)

Description

Wachau World Heritage Trail: From Mühldorf to Maria Laach

Our hike from Mühldorf to Maria Laach takes us over Mount Trenning (628 m) and the highest vineyard in Lower Austria (Ried Trenning) to the 960 m high Jauerling, the highest mountain along the entire Danube. We hike into the landscape of the Jauerling Nature Park-Wachau and experience magnificent panoramic views from the Nature Park House, 915 m. Across the Jauerling plateau and past the hamlets of Gießhübl (with fortified farm), Zeißing (with water castle and castle ruins) and Weinberg, we reach the pilgrimage site Maria Laach with its gothic pilgrimage church and the farmers market.

Starting point of the tour

Mühldorf, market square

Destination point of the tour

Maria Laach, market square

Route description Wachau World Heritage Trail 05: Mühldorf-Maria Laach (Jauerling-Wachau Nature Park)

We leave Mühldorf market square heading towards Spitz, pass the inn Weißes Rössl and the municipal office, then turn right and cross the Spitzer Bach. Now the ascent to the summit cross on Mount Trenning begins. From the summit, we go down to the hamlet Thurn with the Ried Trenning, the highest vineyard in Lower Austria at about 450 m. In the hamlet, we begin the ascent to Jauerling. On picturesque forest paths and forest roads, we hike to the Nature Park House and its Wachau terrace (stamp station). From there, it takes 10 minutes to go right up to the summit cross of Jauerling. We pass the parking lot of the Nature Park House, turn right and reach the Turner meadow. Here we keep left and can already see the lookout tower on Jauerling, where a panorama awaits us from Schneeberg to Watzmann. Afterwards, we hike down to the mountain station of the ski lift and pass the lumberjack hut Stauferhütte into the forest.

The forest path leads us to a clearing near Gießhübl, where we can make a detour to the staffed Haberghütte opposite the medieval fortified farm Gießhübl. Over the historic church path, we descend with great views of Melk Abbey and Maria Laach to Zeißing. At the intersection before the village, we turn left for a detour to the rest area at the ruins of Zeißing Castle and the water castle. Back at the intersection, we follow the farm road uphill to the hamlet Weinberg – great panorama – and shortly after reach our stage destination at the market square in Maria Laach.