OÖ Mariazellerweg: C: 3. Etappe: Haag - Seitenstetten - Sonntagberg

Description

From the zoo in Haag/Salaberg, we walk in a southerly direction through the wild and romantic Salaberg forest, at the end of which we turn right into a beautiful avenue and cross fields and meadows as well as a small wooded area to reach Weistrach. The parish church of the small community, located directly on the Weistrachbach stream, invites pilgrims to visit it with a "Welcome" sign at the entrance. It was built around 1520 and is a work of late Gothic architecture. After the village of Weistrach, we pass several small chapels and wayside shrines before reaching St. Peter in der Au. St. Peter is particularly impressive due to its beautiful townscape with its many old buildings, the church and the moated castle, which are connected by a bridge. The parish church of St. Peter and St. Paul is, like the church in Weistrach, a late Gothic fortified church, but it was first mentioned in a document around 1210. It is interesting to note that the area we are walking through here was once part of the Celtic and later Roman province of Noricum. The next highlight of this stage awaits us with the so-called "Vierkanter Gottes", in Seitenstetten to the east of St. Peter. Of course, this is not a farm, but the well-known Benedictine abbey of Seitenstetten. Situated in the middle of the hilly landscape of the Mostviertel region, the monastery has shaped people, culture and nature for centuries and is home to baroque art treasures as well as a particularly beautiful historic monastery garden with themed gardens and paths (e.g. the "Via Rosa"). We leave Seitenstetten on a narrow road lined with birch trees between the abbey and the abbey garden and then turn left onto a path lined with pear trees. At Hofing, a long ascent to the Blümelsberg (526m) begins, during which we pass traditional Vierkanter farms, pear trees, a game reserve and the Kronawetter wine tavern. At the Karl-Lammerhuber-Blick (large stone on the side of the path), we enjoy a wonderful view of Biberbach and the gentle hilly landscape of the Mostviertel region, before we start the descent and continue towards Rosenau. In Rosenau, a visit to the Military History Museum is particularly recommended before we begin the strenuous ascent to the Sonntagberg. Once at the top, we weary pilgrims are amply rewarded for our exertions by the magnificent sight of the Sonntagberg pilgrimage basilica and enjoy the wonderful views.