Kulinarische Radtour 2: Altmünster - Traunkirchen - Altmünster

Altmünster municipal office - Altmünster railway station - Lagerhaus - Mitterndorf - Waldcampus Austria - Traunkirchen railway station - Winkl - Traunkirchen
9 km (total distance 17 km, outward journey 9 km, return journey 8 km)

Elevation gain: 103 m

From Altmünster town hall we cycle up Marktstraße and turn left and then immediately right again towards Altmünster railway station. Continue straight on to Hasenau. At the warehouse, we turn left into Pichlhofstraße and follow the road to the former Höllerwirt inn. There we keep right, pass the kindergarten and the school and always stay on the main road. After passing the Eben/Nachdemsee fire station, we cycle half-left in the direction of Traunkirchen. We soon reach Traunkirchen railway station via Mitterndorf and the Waldcampus Österreich. We then cycle left under the railway subway to the B145. There we cross over to the other side of the road at the pedestrian crossing and cycle first right and then half-left on the old road to Traunkirchen. After just a few metres, we see Gruber's Gasthaus on the right-hand side of the road. But first we continue to Klosterplatz, the centre of Traunkirchen. There you will find the handicraft museum of the gold bonnet and headscarf groups of the district of Gmunden and the parish church with the famous fisherman's pulpit, an absolute must-see in Traunkirchen.

You should also make a detour to the Johannesberg with its unique dense stand of yew trees and visit the Johannesberg Chapel, which is now dedicated to St John the Baptist. The mountain was already a pagan place of worship 3500 years ago and is an ancient cultural site. An inscription on the chapel tells us that this was once a hideout for pirates. It was a good place to lie in wait for boats laden with salt, as the Sonnstein on the west side and the Traunstein on the east side of Lake Traun meant that the Traunkirchen area was quite isolated. There were no roads, only narrow paths along the shore.

From the monastery square we drive through a small park down to the landing stage. To the left, you can relax on one of the benches set up there and enjoy a marvellous view of the majestic Traunstein on the opposite shore of the lake. The spot is also ideal for a snack.

Like so many places, the area around Lake Traunsee is rich in legends and stories. It is quite interesting - if you want to - to delve into this subject matter. Of course, subjective perception and objective events intertwine here, but a legend always has a connection to a certain area, and this connection can certainly be compared with the present. But this should be done with a realistic distance. The same applies here: "Faith moves mountains and you shouldn't believe everything!"

We cycle back the other way round to Winkl. Before we reach the B145, Gruber's Gasthaus is on the left-hand side of the road, where we can stop for a bite to eat.
The cycle path next to the B145 takes us directly back to Altmünster. If you feel like stopping off again, you can do so at the Spitzvilla or at the Bräuwiese (bathing area with a nice kiosk and garden).
Shortly after entering Altmünster, we come to the Trawöger-Dorfner fish fry, which also invites you to take a well-earned rest after a long tour.
Then it is best to cycle on to the start of the Esplanade in Altmünster and cycle through the subway to Altmünster. This is the safest way to cross over or under the often congested main road. After a short uphill section, we return to our starting point at the municipal office in Altmünster.