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Mitterkirchen: Devil's Path

Starting place: 4343 Mitterkirchen im Machland
Destination: 4343 Mitterkirchen im Machland

Short description:

Hütting - Bathing lake - In der Haid - Wagra - Mitterkirchen


Enjoy nature, get to know the lives of the locals and their fear of the devil as told in a legend. The route passes by a chapel to the 500-year-old oak along Mühlviertel square farms to the rest area at the Hoser bridge along the Naarn back to the parish church at Kirchenplatz. 

Quality of experience: ****

Recommended season:
  • April
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October
Properties:
  • Loop
  • Refreshment stops available

Description:

POINTS OF INTEREST ALONG THE WAY:


Celtic village Mitterkirchen April 15 - Oct 31 daily 9 am - 5 pm (also on Sundays & public holidays)


Bathing lake Mitterkirchen in Weisching


 


SPIRITUAL HIKING ON THE DANUBE STEIG:


Here, we again encounter the Celts, and in a Celtic village, you can learn interesting facts about their way of life.
On the "Devil's Path" you pass an extraordinary natural monument, a 500-year-old oak. An oak can take 500 years to grow, 500 years to live, and then another approx. 500 years to decay (until it is completely rotten). Considering such time spans, it is clear that trees can outlive and accompany generations of people. Annual rings testify to their age, to fertile and less fertile times. Trees are part of the yearly cycle of spring, summer, autumn, and winter.



  • On this circular route, as I walk forward, I look back on my life and try to focus on the things that have strengthened me, that have encouraged me to go my own way. I remember which people or events have supported me, helping me to grow and mature.

  • Today, I stand as I am, say YES to myself.


 


Steps to Letting Go - 4.6 km
Everyone has probably dealt with the subject of "letting go" at some point. Letting go and being able to forgive are closely connected. Sometimes it helps to forgive and let go in order to close the chapter on certain things. Leaving the old behind and looking forward. Usually, successful letting go brings more joy of life and lightness. This path, opened in 2015, is accompanied by 12 panels that invite reflection.
Further information about the path can be found at www.mitterkirchen.at.



Questions I ask myself:



  • What does letting go mean to me?

  • Can I be grateful for what was?

  • Can I forgive someone or even myself in order to let go?

Directions:
From the starting point in Mitterkirchen, after the sports ground and the Machland dam, we turn right into a side street and hike southwest. We follow the street and keep right (left leads to the Danube power plant Wallsee-Mitterkirchen). At a sharp right turn, we turn into a field path. After a short time, we pass an oak, which is also designated as a natural monument. It is said to be 500 years old. At some houses, we come back onto the road and walk towards the bathing lake where there are also dining options. We continue hiking through the cultural landscape and meet the Danube Steig at the Naarn, which we follow for a stretch before turning off towards Mitterkirchen in Wagra.Tip:

Watch out, the devil!


Who could blame the devil for taking the souls he can get most easily? It is said that women who had recently given birth and were not yet "blessed" had to be especially careful. Woe if they left the ground. Unless they carried something sacred with them. Then the danger was averted. A woman from the Mitterkirchen area was invited to a wedding. Somehow she had forgotten to be blessed. On her way to the celebration, she neither wore a blessed necklace nor any other amulet. In her mind, she was probably already at the wedding. At a pasture fence, she gathered up her skirt and climbed over the gatepost. At that moment, the black soul hunter grabbed her and rode away with her. The horrified neighbors only found the scraps of her clothes. They were scattered around the gate path. The chapel at Leitner in Hörstorf still serves as a reminder of this eerie event.


Legend told by Helmut Wittmann

Equipment:
Hiking backpack (incl. rain cover), sturdy footwearAdditional information:

Municipal office Mitterkirchen im Machland
4343 Mitterkirchen 50
Tel.: 0043(0)7269/8255-0 Fax: DW25
gemeinde@mitterkirchen.ooe.gv.at
www.mitterkirchen.ooe.gv.at


 

Starting place: 4343 Mitterkirchen im Machland
Destination: 4343 Mitterkirchen im Machland

duration: 3h 0m
length: 12,5 km
Altitude difference (uphill): 8m
Altitude difference (downhill): 8m

Lowest point: 232m
Highest point: 240m
difficulty: easy
condition: easy
panoramic view: Great panorama

Paths covering:
Asphalt, Gravel, Other

Starting point: Forecourt of the municipality
Destination: Forecourt of the municipality

further information:
  • Flatly
  • Possible accommodation
  • Board possible

Accessibility / arrival

Getting there

Car:
from Linz: motorway exit Enns - Mauthausen - Naarn - Mitterkirchen
from Vienna: motorway exit Oed - Wallsee - Mitterkirchen or Ybbs - Grein - Baumgartenberg - Mitterkirchen


Train: Westbahn to Linz - Danube shore line to Baumgartenberg - by taxi or bus to Mitterkirchen


 


Public Transit

Arrival in the Danube region


How to get to the Danube region of Upper Austria?
The fastest way to your destination – by train, bus, car, ship, or plane.


 


 


Train connection: in the neighboring town of Baumgartenberg, www.oebb.at


Bus connection to Mitterkirchen, www.ooevv.at


Parking
Public parking spaces directly at the starting point (Mitterkirchen sports ground)
Travelling by public transport
Route planner for independent travellers
  • Suitable for kids (all ages)
  • Suitable for children
Most economical season
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn

Please get in touch for more information.

Mitterkirchen: Devil's Path
Marktgemeindeamt Mitterkirchen
Mitterkirchen 50/1
4343 Mitterkirchen im Machland

Phone +43 7269 8255 - 0
E-Mail gemeinde@mitterkirchen.ooe.gv.at
Web www.mitterkirchen.at
Web www.donauregion.at
https://www.mitterkirchen.at
http://www.donauregion.at

We speak the following languages

German