Vierjahreszeiten-Rundwanderweg

comfortable shoes

The loop hike begins behind the Sonnhof Inn. Follow the road past farms up to the state highway. First, follow the road a short distance to the right, then diagonally to the left. The route then leads along a dirt road to a crossroads with a wayside shrine. There, turn left, but at the next fork in the road, keep to the right (toward Neustadtl); then turn right off this road and hike downhill along the Gartwinkl farm road to State Road L 91. Walk a short distance to the right along this road, then turn toward Hainstetten. If you’d like, take a break at the Ehebruster snack bar. Once you’ve regained your strength, continue past Hainstetten Castle, which today serves, among other things, as a retirement home for nuns. Now turn left at the bus stop, where you’ll continue walking between houses and the monastery cemetery until you reach a road that slopes slightly downward. Follow this road to the left, out of Hainstetten, down to the intersection over the bridge spanning the Seisenegger Bach. There, keep to the right and continue toward Seisenegg. Passing a wooden cross and the farms of Obernhof, you’ll now see the Niedernhof Chapel. The trail now leads over the highway bridge into the village of Seisenegg. At the intersection with the state road, keep left. To the right of the road is the Seisenegg Adventure Playground; to the left of that are Seisenegg Castle and the Zatl Inn (Hoftaverne), another place to stop for a break. The trail then continues over the bridge across the Seisenegger Bach, past Villa Grafenstöckl and the Seisenegg Fire Department’s armory. A short detour is worth taking here: If you turn right before the left-hand curve, you’ll cross the stream again via a narrow bridge and finally leave Seisenegg by heading uphill through the forest. Follow the Haubenberg farm road through the forest, then continue past a farmhouse and take the last stretch to the left (approx. 300 m) to the highest point of this trail. In good weather, you’ll be rewarded with a magnificent panoramic view toward the Alps: from the Schneeberg over the Ötscher and the Hochkar to the Großer Priel.

To continue the loop hike, however, turn right onto the Haubenberg farm road and keep left where the trail joins the municipal road. Walking downhill through the forest, you’ll reach Preinsbach. If you’re thirsty or hungry, you can make a quick stop at the Zarl snack bar. The route, however, branches off to the right a little earlier (at Preinsbach House No. 4), leading past farmhouses, over a small bridge, and past a Marian chapel to State Road L 6018. Follow this road to reach the village of Eisenreichdornach, where you turn right onto Burgkogelstraße and then left at the end. Cross the bridge, turn right before the fire department’s armory,

you’ll reach the “Eisenreichdornacher Kellerstöckl” (Tavern). The trail continues past other farms until you reach the outskirts of Eisenreichdornach. There you’ll find a fork in the road where you can choose your path: If you keep left, you’ll follow forest and meadow trails—some of which are very damp—to the farmhouses of Koplarn and from there along State Road L 91 and Schimmingstraße to Schimming. If you prefer an easier route, keep to the right. There, you’ll walk past a chapel and a memorial stone, then follow a paved road directly to the intersection near Schimming. Now walk through the village of Schimming, past a wayside shrine, to State Road L 91. Continue on the L 91 a short distance to the left and then take a sharp right. The path now leads through an underpass to the other side of the highway, past the farmhouses of Stocka, and onto State Road L 6063. On the left, you’ll see the Stocka Chapel of Our Lady, but cross the state road straight ahead and follow a paved farm road between two farms to a gravel path that leads downhill to the state road toward Ardagger. On this road, walk to the right until you reach the junction with the Edthof farm road, turn left onto it, and follow a row of fruit trees to the Edthof estate. To the right of it, hike downhill on a gravel path, cross a stream, and then head uphill toward the farms of Irgerstetten. Passing a chapel and the first property on the right, you’ll reach a paved farm road, which you’ll follow uphill to the intersection. At this intersection, turn right and walk downhill; following this road past a farm and over a bridge, you’ll reach the Hubertus Chapel, which invites you to take one last break on the left side of the road. Now it’s just a short climb uphill before you hike back to Viehdorf.

There are several parking lots in the town. Please follow the signs.

Amstetten West highway exit; follow the signs to Viehdorf

Take the train to Amstetten Station, then take the bus to Viehdorf

In Viehdorf, culinary delights are offered at the “Sonnenhof” inn, run by the Korn family, or at the “Dorfcafé Mistelbacher,” which features a bakery, pastry shop, and café. In Seisenegg: the “Hoftaverne Seisenegg” inn, run by the Zatl family; in Hainstetten: the Hainstetten inn and snack bar (Margarete Ehebruster).