There is something pleasantly simple about walking. One step follows another; the path sets the direction. In between, there is time to look around, talk or even to be silent for a while.
Pilgrimage in the Ybbstal Alps is all about this very sense of being on the move. Through valleys and woods, over hilltops and through small villages. Sometimes together, sometimes on your own. With a destination in mind, or simply out of curiosity about what the day has in store.
The route starts at the pilgrimage church on Pöstlingberg. At St Florian’s Abbey, you’ll have to make a choice.
One route takes you via Steyr and the Christkindl pilgrimage church. The other goes via Seitenstetten Abbey and the Sonntagberg Basilica. The paths meet again in Ybbsitz.
Some of the stages take you right through the heart of the Ybbstal Alps. Via Waidhofen an der Ybbs and Ybbsitz, the route continues to Lunz am See and Lackenhof. Step by step towards Mariazell.
Waidhofen an der Ybbs. Ybbsitz. Maria Seesal. Lunz am See. Lackenhof.
On these stages, the long line on the map becomes a route that you actually walk, step by step. Sometimes shorter, sometimes quite long. Sometimes with a bit more elevation gain.
The descriptions of each stage show the route ahead, how long it takes approximately and how challenging it is. So that at least one thing is clear first thing in the morning: where you’re heading today.
Distance: approx. 160 kilometres, recommended as 7–8 daily stages
The Via Trinitatis invites you to enjoy a leisurely pilgrimage around the Sonntagberg. The focus is on the connection between body, mind and soul. Step by step, there is time for exercise, encounters and the little things along the way. A pilgrimage where it’s not just about reaching the destination.
Go on a pilgrimage, find peace and discover the landscape of the Ybbstal Alps step by step: the Via Trinitatis is a circular pilgrimage route around the Sonntagberg, passing through Waidhofen an der Ybbs, Ybbsitz and Opponitz along the way.
It is not just about the kilometres covered. The Via Trinitatis combines exercise, scenery, culture and cuisine, creating space to be mindful whilst on the move. The route is particularly varied in the Ybbstal Alps: through historic villages, along the River Ybbs and through a landscape shaped by the interplay between nature and centuries-old ironworking traditions.
