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Path of Mindfulness - Spiritual Hiking Trail

Starting place: 4645 Grünau im Almtal
Destination: 4645 Grünau im Almtal

Short description:
Spiritual Inspiration & Experiencing Nature

The Path of Mindfulness winds through the gentle yet wild heart of Upper Austria on a 96-kilometer loop. Along the crystal-clear Steyr Alpine River, you’ll find yourself in the flow of walking and be moved by the mountain scenery. As you wander at a leisurely pace through the forests and meadows of the Kremstal, you’ll have time to reflect and turn inward. You’ll encounter places of power, spiritual sites, heavenly views, and moments that gradually deepen your mindfulness. More information will soon be available on the website and in the guidebook for the Path of Mindfulness!


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Quality of experience: ******

Recommended season:
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October
Properties:
  • Loop
  • Multi-stage route
  • Botanical highlights
  • Faunistic highlights

Description:
The Path of Mindfulness

A trail that fosters mindfulness toward oneself and the environment through conscious experiences of nature and spiritual inspiration.


Stage 1: Grünau im Almtal – Almtalerhaus
17 km | 250 m elevation gain | 50 m elevation loss


Stage 2: Almtalerhaus – Klaus/Steyrling
20 km | 300 m elevation gain | 500 m elevation loss


Stage 3: Klaus/Steyrling – Schlierbach
23 km | 850 m elevation gain | 900 m elevation loss


Stage 4: Schlierbach – Scharnstein
25 km | 600 m elevation gain | 450 m elevation loss


Stage 5: Scharnstein – Grünau im Almtal
14 km | 150 m elevation gain | 300 m elevation loss

Directions:
Stage 1:

The House of Mindfulness in Grünau im Almtal is the perfect place to arrive and set out. You’ll soon find yourself by the river: the trail follows the Grünaubach stream to the Alm River, whose gurgling and glistening waters accompany us for many kilometers. The Alm River originates in the Totes Gebirge; you’ll hike along gentle riverside trails toward the mighty mountains. Along the way lies the Grünau Wildlife Park, home to brown bears and gray geese. Stopover: highly recommended! At Landhaus Jagersimmerl, turn into the Hetzautal valley and follow the road to the rustic Almtalerhaus, always alongside the stream babbling as it flows out of the valley. A short detour via the idyllic Ödseen lakes is also possible. The rugged karst peaks grow ever larger as they flash into view behind dark-green treetops, while everyday worries fade away as the first stage destination appears in an oasis.


Stage 2:


From the Almtalerhaus, the most alpine stage lies ahead, where you’ll be on your own for long stretches. You’ll need to climb nearly 200 meters in elevation to reach the Ringsattel—the pass into the Steyr Valley. On the trail, be sure to watch your step around the roots.....


Stage 3:


As you cross the banks of the Steyr River, you’ll immerse yourself in the fairy-tale forest that leads to the pilgrimage site of Frauenstein. The light shimmering through the leaves in the morning is magical. Perched on a hill, the church appears, housing a cultural treasure: a Madonna of the Protective Mantle on the high altar. Once you tear yourself away from the heavenly view in Frauenstein, the route continues to Göritz near Molln to discover the power of water at the Art Nouveau power plant at Steyrdurchbruch. Across from the emerald-green Steyr River, the meadows and forests of the Kremstal begin. At the Marienkapelle, the Prälatenweg trail leads to Altpernstein Castle. Gentle hills accompany you to the Grillenparz and its summit larch tree. Just lie down in the grass and enjoy the panoramic view! One last descent takes us downhill until the towers of Schlierbach Abbey are within arm’s reach, and we find rest and relaxation at the SPES Hotel.


Stage 4:


On this section, the presence of civilization is noticeably more intense: First, the trail passes through the abbey town of Schlierbach. Where farm roads wind between fields, the path below the highway briefly reminds you of the hectic flow of time. When you turn onto the Hubertusweg in Inzersdorf, the trail heads uphill again into the countryside. Before reaching the Hubertus Chapel, you’ll look back in amazement at how far your own feet have carried you. The Magdalenaberg parish church is the next highlight. In early summer, poppies blooming among the fields line the path to the church in Heiligenleiten. Back at the alpine pasture, a loop over the Bäckerberg leads to a mysterious spot where Tibetan prayer flags flutter in the wind: nestled within a square courtyard, the Gomde—the international Buddhist center—is the perfect place to reflect and retire for the night.


Stage 5:


As the morning sun illuminates Gomde’s paradisiacal garden, the final day begins with light footsteps. Your legs make their way downhill along hiking trails and might put down roots for a while just before the village of Viechtwang. Here, on the southeastern slopes of the Hacklsberg, a lime tree over 500 years old soars toward the sky as a natural monument, offering shade and strength. Passing the parish church with its onion-domed tower, we head toward the Alm River, which we’ve already encountered. We stay close to its crystal-clear waters and follow it through the village of Scharnstein. The Flösserweg leads back to Grünau im Almtal, where the circle closes at the House of Mindfulness. We can look back with joy, pride, and gratitude on a path that perhaps doesn’t end here after all, because it will lead us a little further in life.

Additional information:
The partner establishments are not always traditional hotels. Gomde, for example, is a spiritual retreat where the focus is on personal spiritual development, meditation, and community life. The Almtalerhaus is also not a hotel, but rather an Alpine Club lodge.
Starting place: 4645 Grünau im Almtal
Destination: 4645 Grünau im Almtal

duration: 27h 30m
length: 99,9 km
Altitude difference (uphill): 1.985m
Altitude difference (downhill): 1.985m

Lowest point: 399m
Highest point: 897m
difficulty: difficult
condition: very difficult
panoramic view: Dreamtour

Paths covering:
Asphalt, Path / trail, Gravel, Street, Other

Starting point: Grünau in the Almtal Valley
Destination: Grünau in the Almtal Valley

further information:
  • Multi-day tour
  • Circular route

Accessibility / arrival

Getting there

A1 West Highway:


Vienna – Voralpenkreuz-A9 – Ried/Tr. exit – Voitsdorf – Pettenbach – Scharnstein – Grünau im Almtal


A1 West Highway:


Munich – Salzburg – Regau – Gmunden – Scharnstein – Grünau im Almtal Innkreis Highway A8: Passau – Wels Interchange toward Graz or Voralpenkreuz A9 Pyhrn Highway (Of course, this also applies when coming from Graz) – Ried/Tr. exit – Voitsdorf – Pettenbach – Scharnstein – Grünau im Almtal


From the town center of Grünau im Almtal, follow the signs for “Haus der Achtsamkeit” or park your car at the sports field parking lot (Parking Lot 4, Grünau parking guidance system).


Public Transit

Directions / How to Get There


Here’s how to get to the Path of Mindfulness in Grünau im Almtal:


We recommend traveling by public transportation!


By train: From Wels Station, take the Almtalbahn (Line 153) to Grünau im Almtal;


There are numerous connections from Wels Station to the mainline trains on the Westbahn line (Line 101). The House of Mindfulness is just one kilometer (about 15 minutes) on foot from the train station.


By bus:


OÖVV Bus Line 533/534 Gmunden – Grünau im Almtal – Almsee, stop: Grünau i.A. Gemeindeamt


The House of Mindfulness is just a 600-meter walk (about 10 minutes) from the bus stop.


Salzkammergut Shuttle Service:


With the Salzkammergut Shuttle Service Route 60, for example, from May 1 through September 14—in the event that the Almtalerhaus is fully booked—you can travel from the Almtalerhaus stop to the Sportplatz stop to reach the House of Mindfulness (3 minutes). Please call the taxi dispatch center at least 1 hour in advance at 050-422 422 or book via the otaxi app. On foot: From the Grünau im Almtal train station, you can take a leisurely stroll through the village, either along the Grünaubach stream or along Schindlbachstraße, to the Haus der Achtsamkeit. From the House of Mindfulness, you can then walk the Path of Mindfulness along the Grünaubach stream to the Alm, and then hike the Almuferweg “Genuss am Almfluss” trail via the Cumberland Wildlife Park to Jagersimmerl/Habernau. From there, the trail continues through the Hetzautal valley to the Almtalerhaus.


Parking

Please use only the designated parking spaces at the trailheads and be considerate of private property! Thank you for your cooperation!

Travelling by public transport
Route planner for independent travellers
Most economical season
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn

Please get in touch for more information.

Path of Mindfulness - Spiritual Hiking Trail
Alpenland Tourismus GmbH
Stadtplatz 27
4400 Steyr

Phone +43 7252 53229 - 0
mobile +43 7252 53229
E-Mail reichraming@steyr-nationalpark.at
Web www.steyr-nationalpark.at/
Web www.wegderachtsamkeit.com/
https://www.steyr-nationalpark.at/
https://www.wegderachtsamkeit.com/
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