Via Trinitatis 1. Etappe: Sonntagberg - Ybbsitz

You enter through the main portal of the basilica—a magnificent work by the Baroque architects Jakob Prandtauer and Josef Mungenast—and take your first steps past the “Zeichenstein” toward the imposing high altar. The founding legend, depicted on the left with the image of a shepherd in distress, can serve as an initial inspiration for pilgrims, who can take a stone they’ve brought with them—one with personal symbolic meaning—as their “own sign stone” to carry along the way. Taking in the overwhelming atmosphere of the church, you proceed through the front right side portal onto the forecourt and enjoy your first view of the impressive pre-Alpine landscape.

South of the Baroque rectory, along a stone wall lined with information panels, the parallel “Cultural Hiking Trail” leads you to the parish’s mountain cemetery. There, take the “Forest of the Senses” themed trail and, shortly after it joins the “Mostviertler Höhenstraße,” turn left toward the Türkenbrunnen. This fountain is historically closely linked to the founding history of the Sonntagberg Basilica.

The trail continues eastward through a wooded area, past a small estate, to the “Mostviertler Höhenstraße.” After about 450 meters, turn left. Here, the long-distance hiking trail 08, the “Eisenwurzenweg,” accompanies you to St. Leonhard.

A detour to the Sonntagberg Sound Garden offers a special spiritual experience. As you continue along the trail, characterized by small-scale agriculture, the “RUNDumSCHAU” (a “panoramic viewpoint on the Kogel”) gives you a deeper appreciation of the region’s unique landscape. On a clear day, the view to the north stretches across the Danube Valley all the way to the Upper Mühlviertel and Waldviertel regions. To the south, in stark contrast, the Ybbstal Alps—including the Hochschwab region and the Ötscher—open up alongside the Mariazellerland.

Stay on the “Eisenwurzenweg 08” trail to St. Leonhard am Wald, where you’ll find the parish church dedicated to St. Leonhard. This saint is revered as far away as Vienna, where, for two centuries, the Fiaker drivers have made the “Fiaker Pilgrimage” here to the patron saint of their horses.

Immediately upon entering the village, turn left and follow a short, downhill meadow path and the village road to the “Leonhardikapelle,” built in 1986. From there, 14 Stations of the Cross lead along the cemetery wall directly to the village square. In addition to visiting the parish church dedicated to St. Leonhard, it’s a good idea to stop for lunch. Afterward, the pilgrimage route branches off to the left right by the “Leonhardihof,” following a forest and meadow path that joins the “Ötscherblickstraße” and leads to the “Rauchegger Kreuz.” A large crucifix here offers a wonderful view of the Ötscher and the Ybbstal Valley all the way to the Gesäuse Mountains.

The “Hohlwurzelweg” offers a special source of inspiration and a spiritual stretch of the trail. Here, over a distance of about 100 meters, you’ll encounter rare beech formations that invite spiritual reflection. Impressed by this natural gem, you’ll return to the “Rauchegger Kreuz.”

You now follow the gravel path downhill, past the “Ober-Rauchegg” farmhouse, and reach the “Putzmühle” snack bar via the farm driveway toward the Urltal valley. It’s well worth stopping for a break and a snack at this cozy inn.

The trail continues out of the valley to the junction with ÖAV Trail No. 31. Along the way, the small Urnbach stream accompanies the trail, meandering alternately to the left and right as it runs alongside it. Once you reach the top of the Knieberg, you’ll come to the WWW 06 “OÖ Mariazellerweg” and follow it downhill until, after a loop, you reach the turnoff for the “1st Lower Austrian Schnaps Road”—an insider’s tip for fine brandies. However, keep left and follow the sign for the “Pensionistengletscher.” Passing through a small wooded area, you’ll reach Federal Highway 22, which you’ll cross. Crossing the revitalized bridge of the former “Ybbstalbahn,” you’ll pass through the village of “Schwemmau” and reach the first stage destination, Ybbsitz. In the “Schmiedeimperium” of the western Mostviertel, there are several lodging options available. An overview can be found in the pilgrim guide, along with suggestions for sights to see and the parish church.

By car from St. Pölten, take the A1 Westautobahn and exit at Amstetten West.

It can be reached by train from St. Pölten in just under 1 hour and 30 minutes, with a transfer in Amstetten.