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

Description

Welterbesteig Wachau: From Mühldorf to Maria Laach

The stage from Mühldorf to Maria Laach leads from the Danube Valley up into the heights of the Jauerling-Wachau Nature Park. Via the Trenning (628 m), the trail runs through Lower Austria’s highest-altitude vineyard, the Trenning vineyard, and continues uphill to the Jauerling, which at 960 metres is the highest mountain along the entire Danube. The landscape opens up into broad highland ridges and offers impressive panoramic views far beyond the Wachau.

From the Nature Park House at around 915 metres, the route leads across the Jauerling high plateau and past the small hamlets of Gießhübl with its fortified farmstead, Zeißing with its moated castle and castle ruins, and Weinberg. The destination of the stage is the traditional pilgrimage village of Maria Laach with its Gothic pilgrimage church and well-known farmers’ market, providing an atmospheric conclusion to this panoramic high-level hike.

While hiking on the Welterbesteig Wachau, it becomes clear step by step why the Wachau has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage region. Along carefully curated World Heritage Spots, the defining World Heritage Highlights become visible – the interplay of the historic cultural landscape, traditional viticulture, exceptional natural areas and the Danube as a formative element.

The Welterbesteig Wachau has also been awarded the Austrian Hiking Quality Seal. This certification stands for high quality standards in route layout, signage, safety and infrastructure and confirms the Welterbesteig as a reliable and high-quality hiking experience in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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)

The market square in Mühldorf is left in the direction of Spitz, passing the Weißes Rössl inn and the municipal office, after which the route turns right and crosses the Spitzer Bach. The ascent to the summit cross on Mount Trenning now begins. From the summit, the route leads down to the hamlet of Thurn with the Trenning vineyard, the highest vineyard in Lower Austria at approx. 450 m. In the hamlet, the ascent to the Jauerling begins. Along picturesque forest paths and forestry roads, the trail leads to the Nature Park House and its Wachau terrace (stamping station). From there, the summit cross of the Jauerling is reached in 10 minutes by heading uphill to the right. The car park of the Nature Park House is passed, after which the route turns right and continues to the Turnerwiese. Here, the trail leads left and the Jauerling observation tower is already visible, where a panorama from the Schneeberg to the Watzmann awaits. Afterwards, the route leads down to the upper station of the ski lift and past the Stauferhütte woodcutter’s hut into the forest.

The forest path leads to a clearing near Gießhübl, where a detour to the staffed Haberghütte opposite the medieval fortified farmstead of Gießhübl is possible. Via the historic Kirchensteig, the route leads down to Zeißing with magnificent views of Melk Abbey and Maria Laach. At the junction before the village, a detour to the resting place at the Zeißing castle ruins and the moated castle leads to the left. Back at the junction, the farm road leads uphill to the hamlet of Weinberg - magnificent panorama - and shortly afterwards the stage destination at the market square in Maria Laach is reached.