Upper Austria Mariazellerweg: A: 3rd Stage: Steyr - Maria Neustift

Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 27,75 km
Duration: 8:45 h
Ascent: 1359 m elevation gain
Descent: 1053 m elevation gain

A hike in the untouched nature of the Kalkalpen National Park, completely away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, awaits us on the royal stage of the Mariazell Pilgrimage Trail. In the south-east of Steyr, we make a pilgrimage to Damberg and Schwarzberg, enjoying wonderful views on all sides and being inspired by the seclusion of this mystical region. At an altitude of 1000 meters (the highest point of today's stage) we reach the Spadenberg and later the Geierkogel and from now on hike downhill to Maria Neustift.

Starting point of the tour: Steyr
Tour destination: Maria Neustift

Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 27,75 km
Duration: 8:45 h
Ascent: 1359 m elevation gain
Descent: 1053 m elevation gain

Fitness level required:
6/6
Overall experience:
6/6
Scenery:
6/6

Lowest point289 m
Highest point1001 m

Stage tour
Nice views
With refreshment stops
Summit tour

Downloads

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Description

From the historic town of Steyr, we start our third stage at the Schönauer Brücke bridge and cross the Enns to reach its eastern bank, where we then walk southwards along the Bergerweg path lined with villas. At St. Ulrich, we see the tower of the village's parish church on the right and then turn off Rahoferstraße into the beautiful beech forest. We cross a settlement and begin our relatively strenuous mountain stage to the Schoiber inn. From this inn, situated below the Damberg, Steyr's local mountain, we enjoy a wonderful view down to Steyr and follow the signposts towards Schwarzberg along pleasant forest paths. The forest opens up again and again here, giving pilgrims a fantastic view on all sides. We cross lush green clearings, hike through sparse beech forest, marvel at the large wind turbines on the Plattenberg and finally enter the Kalkalpen National Park (Ennstal region) on the Spadenberg. Here we follow the ridge path, lined with beech trees on the left and spruce trees on the right, to the summit of the Spadenberg at an altitude of 1000 meters and then steeply downhill to a chapel with a rest area. Once again we have to mobilize our strength to conquer the Geierkogel (886m), but after that it becomes more leisurely and we hike steadily downhill to Maria Neustift.

Equipment The backpack on a pilgrimage should truly only contain the absolute essentials! A GPS device is very helpful for orientation.
Route description The hike (06 and 04 path) starts in Steyr (310 m) at the town square, leads over Grünmarkt, over the Schönauer Bridge, upwards along the Enns on Bergerweg, to Isabellenhofweg, Bachweg, and on the 06 path directly eastwards to St. Ulrich (about 4 km to this point) and steeply upwards via the Schoiber mountain inn to Damberg (807 m, lookout tower with magnificent views of the pre-Alpine area around Steyr), downhill to Hertlerwiese (666 m), bypassing Schwarzberg on a forest road up to Willeitenberg (837 m), where we meet the pre-Alpine long-distance trail 04 (Salzburg Mariazellerweg). Now downhill to Wolfsgrub (695 m) and then over Plattenberg to Spadenberg, the highest point of the third stage (1,000 m). Along the ridge to Geierkogel (886 m) via Glasner Hut to Maria Neustift (613 m). From Steyr to the Schoiber mountain inn about 2 hours, another 3 hours to Plattenberg (Hinterplatten farmstead), from here another 3 hours to Maria Neustift (route guidance via Spadenberg).
Parking Parking options are available, for example, in the Pachergasse parking garage (€ 6/day) and in the Wieserfeldplatz parking garage (€ 7.20/day, € 27/week). There are permanent parking spaces with unlimited parking time and no fee at the promenade and Schiffmeisterplatz.
Getting there Coming from Salzburg, take the A1 towards Vienna/Linz up to Sattledt. At Sattledt, take the exit and continue on the B122 via Kremsmünster and Bad Hall to Steyr. Coming from Vienna, take the A1 towards Salzburg up to Haag (exit 142). From there, continue on the B42 and later on the B122 to Steyr.
Public transport From St. Valentin, we take the Regional Express (REX) directly to Steyr.
Editor’s tip Excellent fitness is absolutely required on this route; it is very challenging and offers few options for cancellation.

Recommended period

Mostviertel Tourismus GmbH

Töpperschloss Neubruck, Neubruck 2/10, 3283 Scheibbs
T +43/7482/20 444
info@mostviertel.at , www.mostviertel.at

TVB Mariazeller Land

Hauptplatz 13, 8630 Mariazell

Tel.: +43 (0)3882/23 66

Upper Austria Tourism Information

Freistädter Straße 119, 4041 Linz

info@oberoesterreich.at

www.wandern.at

Useful Maps:

ÖK 4319 Linz, ÖK 4320 Perg, ÖK 4326 Steyr,

ÖK 4202 Ternberg, ÖK 4203 Waidhofen,

ÖK 4203 Ybbsitz, ÖK 4204 Lunz, ÖK 4210 Mariazell

All at a scale of 1:50,000 (also available as enlargement 1:25,000)

F&B hiking maps 261 (1:50,000), 051 (1:50,000),

052 (1:50,000), 5031 (1:35,000)

Kompass 22 (Mariazell, Ötscher, Erlauftal, 1:25,000),

Kompass 212 (Hochschwab, Mariazell, Eisenwurzen, 1:50,000),

Kompass 202 (Around Linz, Mühlviertel, Wels, Steyr, 1:50,000)

Important phone numbers:

Alpine emergency call: 140, International emergency call: 112

Recommended literature:

Pilgrimage routes to Mariazell – Volume West + South, www.styriabooks.at

Hiking experience Mariazeller Land and Ötscher, www.kral-verlag.at

Pilgrimage routes, www.kral-verlag.at

Letzte Änderung: 16 Mar 2026