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Hiking tour Starting from Lackenhof
Fantastic pilgrimage route through the fascinating Ötschergräben and the wild landscape of the Ötscher-Tormäuer Nature Park between Lackenhof and Mitterbach.
Fantastic pilgrimage route through the fascinating Ötschergräben and the wild landscape of the Ötscher-Tormäuer Nature Park between Lackenhof and Mitterbach.
The penultimate stage of the Mariazell Pilgrimage Trail starts in the village of Lackenhof, home to three hundred people, below the highest mountain in the Mostviertel region, the Ötscher (1893m). From the listed church built on a hill, we hike in a south-easterly direction along the signposted Mariazeller Weg, which immediately leads us quite steeply up the slopes of the Ötscher. The name Ötscher was probably given due to its striking shape and comes from the Slavic language, meaning "father mountain". The 170 km² Ötscher-Tormäuer Nature Park, the largest nature park in Lower Austria, was created around the mountain in 1970. After an ascent of almost 500 meters, we reach the Riffelsattel and hike downhill from there towards the Ötschergräben. Shortly after the former Spielbichler inn, pilgrims are treated to a wonderful panorama of the Ötscher summit to the north and the foothills of the Ötschergräben to the south. Beautiful hiking trails take us to the Schleierfall, where the wonderful gorge hike through the Ötschergräben begins. The landscape in the Ötschergräben is reminiscent of a Winnetou film - steep rock faces border the gorge on both sides, turquoise water makes its way through the limestone. We only leave the Ötschergräben again at the "Ötscherhias" inn and continue our hike in the direction of the Erlauf reservoir. Once again uphill, we pass a mill, make a short stop at a wooden chapel and arrive at the elongated Erlauf reservoir. A beautifully laid out nature trail leads us to Mitterbach, the end point of this tour.
Caution at the Erlauf reservoir, the bridge over which you could shortcut here is at risk of collapse!
Sturdy footwear is advisable on this stage.
From Lackenhof it becomes truly alpine. Almost 500 meters of elevation have to be climbed steeply up to the Riffelsattel (1,283 m). Mountain enthusiasts can also make a detour to the Ötscherschutzhaus (1,418 m) or even stay overnight there. Those who want to go through the Ötschergräben descend to the former Gasthaus Spielbichler (927 m) and walk through it up to the Ötscherhias (681 m). From Lackenhof to this point it takes about 4.5 to 5 hours (variant via Ötscherschutzhaus 5.5 to 6 hours). Then it goes uphill to the Forsthaus Hagen (833 m) and straight along the Erlauf reservoir to Mitterbach (800 m), where you meet the Via Sacra coming from Vienna (just under 2 hours from Ötscherhias to Mitterbach).
Variant: From the Riffelsattel you can also reach Mariazell via the Feldwiesalm, the Iron Herrgott, Zellerrain, and Erlaufsee. Those in good shape can also descend from the summit of the Gemeindealpe (1,626 m) to Mitterbach (800 m).
Parking options in Lackenhof include, for example, at the fire department or at the lift station (Intersport Rent).
Coming from Salzburg on the A1 to the Amstetten-Ost exit (108), and then via L97 to Steinakirchen am Forst. Via Purgstall an der Erlauf and Scheibbs you get to Lackenhof am Ötscher.
By train you can get from Amstetten to Waidhofen/Ybbs. From Waidhofen to Lunz am See, you can take bus MO1, and then with bus MO21 you get to Lackenhof.
In the Hulatsch pastry shop in Mitterbach, there are excellent cakes and tortes.
Mostviertel Tourismus GmbH
Töpperschloss Neubruck, Neubruck 2/10, 3283 Scheibbs
T +43/7482/20 444
info@mostviertel.at , www.mostviertel.at
TVB Mariazeller Land
Hauptplatz 13, 8630 Mariazell
Tel.: +43 (0)3882/23 66
Oberösterreich Tourismus Information
Freistädter Straße 119, 4041 Linz
info@oberoesterreich.at
www.wandern.at
Useful maps:
ÖK 4319 Linz, ÖK 4320 Perg, ÖK 4326 Steyr,
ÖK 4202 Ternberg, ÖK 4203 Waidhofen,
ÖK 4203 Ybbsitz, ÖK 4204 Lunz, ÖK 4210 Mariazell
All in scale 1:50,000 (also available enlarged 1:25,000)
F&B hiking maps 261 (1:50,000), 051 (1:50,000),
052 (1:50,000), 5031 (1:35,000)
Kompass 22 (Mariazell, Ötscher, Erlauftal, 1:25,000),
Kompass 212 (Hochschwab, Mariazell, Eisenwurzen, 1:50,000),
Kompass 202 (around Linz, Mühlviertel, Wels, Steyr, 1:50,000)
Important phone numbers:
Alpine emergency call: 140, International emergency call: 112
Recommended literature:
Pilgrimage routes to Mariazell – Volume West + South, www.styriabooks.at
Hiking experience Mariazeller Land and Ötscher, www.kral-verlag.at
Pilgrimage routes, www.kral-verlag.at
Letzte Änderung: 20 May 2026
