Those who want not only to walk but also to reflect inwardly, embark on the Austrian Pilgrimage Route: from the famous Göttweig Abbey to Melk Abbey and then further from Melk through the Nibelungengau to Persenbeug.
From Göttweig Abbey, the Austrian "Montecassino," founded in 1083 by St. Altmann, Bishop of Passau, and handed over to the Benedictines in 1094, the pilgrimage route leads down the slope to Aigen (route no. 475). Here we cross the railway and walk through hollow ways and over a plateau past Furth on the left. On paved farm roads, we walk through magnificent vineyards to Mautern. In front of the barracks in Mautern, we turn left and walk through the beautiful town.
On the road (route 06) it continues to Mauternbach. At the end of Mauternbach, we turn right and continue the steep path toward Ferdinandswarte. Here we are on a part of the Roman road, also called the Limes road. Well-preserved finds can be viewed at the Roman Museum in Mautern. On the well-marked path, we pass the junctions to the Ferdinandswarte and to Unterbergern. Shortly before Oberbergern, we can continue straight towards Maria Langegg or via Oberbergern (route 06), where there is an inn for resting.
After about 1 km, we come to the Pilgrimage Route fork. Here you can again enjoy a beautiful view of Göttweig Abbey. After a pleasant rest, it continues on route B20 into the mystical depths of the Dunkelsteiner Forest. The pilgrimage route leads past the "Seven Graves" (Illyrian-Celtic burial mounds) and the "Red Cross", an old wayside shrine, further to Schoberstein and "Herrnplatzl" (route no. 653). We go left toward Kreuzberg (route B10). At Kreuzberg, we have a beautiful panoramic view; there is also a moon sculpture. The pilgrimage route then mostly leads through the forest over the "Kastlkreuz" to the pilgrimage site Maria Langegg. From here, it continues along the popular hiking trail no. 653 to the Aggstein castle ruins.
After a short rest, where you are spoiled with beautiful views, we march down to the Danube valley. Before arriving at Aggstein, we turn left and reach Aggsbach village via "Hartl." From here, route no. 653 leads us past the hammer mill and the Aggsbach Charterhouse. We continue through the Wolfstein gorge to Wolfstein, named after an old legend. At the town's end, we turn right and reach Gerolding (route no. 653) through the Rain valley. Now the path leads us along the road via Hohenwarth to Schönbühel (route no. 653, 05). From a distance, we can see Schönbühel Castle and the Danube. About 1 km off the pilgrimage route is the Servite monastery, built in the 17th century.
The pilgrimage route takes us left through the town before Schönbühel Castle. After Schönbühel, on route 05, it goes steeply uphill to "Hub," where the view of Melk Abbey rewards the effort of the path. Over the Pielach mouth and the "Steinwandleiten," it is only a short ascent to Melk Abbey. From here, you can look back on your wonderful yet surely also strenuous pilgrimage route, located between the two baroque monasteries Göttweig and Melk and amidst the tranquil, beautiful, and mystical Dunkelsteiner Forest.
