WAB - Stage 7: Gschaidt - Mönichkirchen

Description

The rural, carefully cultivated character of the landscape, dense forests, and a series of hills are part of the charm of this stage. The Steinkreis Waldbauer vantage point is an ideal spot to rest, relax, and recuperate. The stone circle is 6 metres in diameter and is man-made. A hiker’s book is available at the Leherbauernhöhe crossroads, into which hikers can immortalise themselves.

Starting point of the tour

Gschaidt, village centre

Destination point of the tour

Mönichkirchen, cable car

Route description WAB - Stage 7: Gschaidt - Mönichkirchen

The start of the 7th stage is on Hauptstraße next to Landgasthof Höller in Gschaidt. The first section of the stage takes us along the Walderlebnisweg route on a path towards the Luckerbauerriegel vantage point before returning to Gschaidt. Continue along the Ulrichsdorf trail and past the shopping centre, turn right off the Walderlebnisweg route at the exhibition hall and get to the splendid observation point on Luckerbauerriegel. We go back on this hiking path for a short period before turning left, follow the forest path downhill to a hiking trail marked in red, then follow this going right and uphill to Gschaidt. After the Feuerwehrhaus turn left onto Hauptstraße, then turn left onto a cart track soon afterwards. The designated hiking route descends almost 200 metres down into the valley. We cross over the Hochneukirchner Bach and turn right off the street. After less than 10 minutes we head slightly left on the road to Zöbersdorf. After going past the Trettlermühle, we follow the road slightly uphill, then take the left-hand side of the fork continuing towards Zöbersdorf. A few minutes later, we reach a sharp left turn, where we veer slightly right away from the road and take a forest path downhill towards Tannwaldbach stream. We hike up the valley on the path alongside the stream, as the route alternates on its way north between shadowy forest paths and solitary meadow trails, before turning right at the top end of a meadow onto a forest and cart track towards Gumpoldshof. We hike along the access road to Gumpoldshof and continue to ascend slightly. After emerging from the forest, the access road runs into another road, and we turn right. A few minutes later, in an open field, we take a sharp left-hand turn onto a path towards Waldbauer and appreciate a path on the edge of a forested hill offering plenty of great views. We leave the path at this point and turn right onto the forest path towards the observation point at Steinkreis Waldbauer. The man-made stone circle can be found between the trees. It is around 6 metres in diameter and is a splendid place to stop and inner reflection.

Continue hiking to Waldbauer, then head along the edge of the forest and follow the road past the Tannhof and on to Pichl. We head through the small settlement on the right-hand side and follow the marked track at Ziegersberg Castle and head on to Schlag. Upon reaching the Feuerwehrhaus in Schlag, we leave the Hauptstraße and turn right, following a flat track without notable inclines on to the A2. We briefly enter Styria, cross the motorway and then instantly turn left onto a track. Shortly afterwards we turn right onto a cart track and ascend it to the top of a hill. The designated hiking path now takes us westwards along forest roads and wooded paths, sometimes with splendid views. We quickly leave Styria and take the Wechselbundesstraße to Mönichkirchen. We leave the Bundesstraße turning right at the crossroads and enter the climatic spa village of Mönichkirchen. After going past the municipal office, we head uphill on the right-hand side of Kaufhaus Rois towards the pfarrkirche, then carry on along the marked path towards the car park at the valley station of Schischaukel Mönichkirchen ski-lift.