Kalkalpen Trail stage 5

Windischgarsten – Gowilalm Pasture
Theme: Geology

The climatic health resort of Windischgarsten (602 m) lies in the middle of a wide, mountain-lined valley basin, which is one of the most beautiful basin landscapes in the northern Alpine region. The town is the tourist and economic centre of the Pyhrn-Priel region. Windischgarsten is home to many sporting facilities such as a golf course, mountain bike trails, 2 tennis courts plus indoor tennis centre, riding club, climbing hall in the AV-Heim etc. Well-run hotels and inns invite you to linger. The famous arcaded courtyard in the former Lechnerhaus and the Psalm Trail in the church park are particular gems.

From the Windischgarsten market square, we walk a short distance eastwards to the fork in the road at Rosenau am Hengstpass or Spital am Pyhrn (Hödl hairdressing salon). At the "Proviantweg" signpost, we follow Pfarrgasse uphill past the parish hall to another fork in the road. The gravel path leads us along the edge of the slope above the Heimathaus (museum) and the outdoor pool into the landscape park (geological nature trail or geological features of this region by Oberschulrat Stanzel).

Now we take the well-maintained hiking trail near the stream into the valley (Millionenweg = millions of years of geological history) to the Pistlmühle sawmill. Here we walk upstream through the factory premises to the Schaffelmühle inn. We now walk to the right (Güterweg Bischofsberg) up the dust-free road, past Café Sophie to the fork in the road (to the right would be Hotel Sperlhof). After taking the left branch of the road, we walk eastwards along the dust-free goods road to the Hansl am Graben farmstead. We walk southwards uphill through the farmyard to the signpost and downhill to the left into the watery valley floor of the Fraitgraben. Here we take the forest path near the stream into the valley to the Ramitscheder mill. Further up the stream we reach the Stanglmühle house (former Lodenstampfe) and the road up to the Dansbach chapel.

We follow the dust-free road up to the settlement area (fork in the road to Spital am Pyhrn to Gasthof Schrofler or Landhotel Oberwengerhof). Here we turn left a little eastwards to the next fork in the road and right uphill to the Singerskogel snack station. The road now leads us uphill a little, then right (car park) on trail no. 616. Partly on an alpine path, partly on a small road, crossing some forest paths, we finally hike up steeper to the Gowilalmhütte with a magnificent view of the wide Garstnertal valley and the surrounding mountains.