OÖ Mariazellerweg: C: 4. Etappe: Sonntagberg - Ybbsitz

Description

Starting from the pilgrimage basilica on the Sonntagberg, we begin today's stage eastwards through a pleasant wooded area to the Türkenbrunnen fountain. The Türkenbrunnen fountain commemorates the so-called "Horse Miracle" in 1529, when Turkish horsemen attempted to plunder the church on Sonntagberg. According to legend, the horses fell to their knees at the fountain - frightened by the holy place - and refused to move on. The Turks were thus forced to turn back. In 1677, a chapel was built next to the spring to commemorate this event. After the fountain, we hike over the Herzogenberg and then along the Panorama-Höhestraße to St. Leonhard am Wald, where we enjoy a break after a rather strenuous climb. Right at the entrance to the village there is a beautiful chapel dedicated to St. Hubertus, from where we have a wonderful view of the valley. A few meters later, in the village center, we come across another chapel and the "Fiakerkirche" of St. Leonhard. The Viennese hackney carriage drivers have been making a pilgrimage to this church every year since 1826, as St. Leonhard is the patron saint of horses, cattle and sheep, among other things. From St. Leonhard, the route descends for a long time, passing beautiful farms and walking through avenues of fruit trees on long bends down into the valley. In Schwarzbach we come to the Urlbach stream and can take a break here at an idyllic chapel on the banks of the stream before climbing back up towards Ybbsitz. On the way to Knieberg, we make a pilgrimage through lush meadows, past comfortably grazing cows to the last hill before our destination for today. From here, we have a fantastic panoramic view of the Prochenberg (1123m) and the Maisberg (942m), as well as the village of Ybbsitz in the valley, which is also the end point of our stage.