Grande Granite Tour: Stage 4
- culturally interesting
- Multi-day tour
Interactive elevation profile
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Tour-Details
Paths covering:
“Plateau with panoramic views and detours down valleys”
Quality of experience: ******
Recommended season:
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
Properties:
- Multi-stage route
- Scenic
- Refreshment stops available
- Cultural/historical value
- Geological highlights
- Botanical highlights
- Faunistic highlights
From the mountaintop village of Waxenberg, you will whiz effortlessly back down to the idyllic, meadowy Kleine Rodl valley. A short climb through a stretch of forest, then you will be standing at the last ridge of northern Granite Country. Meandering broadly, the route leads down through secluded valleys to Neusserling. This is where the farm-dotted panoramic plateau begins, interspersed with deep, forested mini valleys. Here, sublime biking through cultivated countryside meets fun in the small valleys – with some tricky spots along the way. In Sankt Martin im Mühlkreis, a fabulous downhill stretch with views over the Danube Valley to the riverport of Untermühl delivers a perfect ending to the section.
Highlights:
- Waxenberg (village with ruins of castle at summit, lookout tower with 360-degree panoramic view, palace)
- Pesenbachtal Nature Reserve (first nature reserve in the Mühlviertel)
- Sankt Martin im Mühlkreis (area in which famous Neuhauser granite is mined, granite-filtered beer)
- Schloss Neuhaus palace (granite transport – field railway terminates, cable car to Danube begins)
- Untermühl (port on the Danube, location from which famous Neuhauser granite is shipped)
- Overnight location: By the port on the Danube at Untermühl
Directions:
From the mountaintop village of Waxenberg, you will whiz effortlessly back down to the idyllic, meadowy Kleine Rodl valley. A short climb through a stretch of forest, then you will be standing at the last ridge of northern Granite Country. Meandering broadly, the route leads down through secluded valleys to Neusserling. This is where the farm-dotted panoramic plateau begins, interspersed with deep, forested mini valleys. Here, sublime biking through cultivated countryside meets fun in the small valleys – with some tricky spots along the way. In Sankt Martin im Mühlkreis, a fabulous downhill stretch with views over the Danube Valley to the riverport of Untermühl delivers a perfect ending to the section.
Waxenberg: The ruined castle at the summit is located on a forested, cone-shaped mountain above the Kleine Rodl valley and the pretty village on the adjacent anticline. The castle was built at the time when parts of the Mühlviertel’s primeval forests were being opened up and developed, providing a seat of power in the centre of the region’s largest clearing domain. Top tip: The lookout tower on the castle offers 360-degree panoramic views from the Bohemian Forest to the Alps – a true highlight of the tour! Next, you can flow freely ahead, whizzing through mixed mountainside forest, later following the rhythm of winding farm roads through gently undulating Mühlviertel farmland into the meadowy Kleine Rodl valley. Top-notch biking! Loymühle mill then emerges ahead, followed by an ascent (elevation gain: 150 metres), initially going steeper up the mountainside forest, then taking a more relaxed turn on rural tracks. Once you reach Buchholz, you will be standing on the final ridge (720 metres) of northern Granite Country. Congratulations! Heading for the rear side of the summit, a spell of cruising along at high elevation with views over the Alps is sure to evoke a feeling of pure freedom. The downhill trail then leads into a hidden side valley. A short ascent is called for, before riding further down to Neusserling, meandering enjoyably downwards into a secluded depression in the terrain. This is where the farm-dotted panoramic plateau begins, interspersed with deep, forested mini valleys. Here, sublime biking through cultivated countryside with a feeling of almost endless expanse meets fun riding through the narrow valleys – with some tricky spots along the way! The route leads through three smaller valleys – the middle one boasting a short trail – into the smart high plateau village of Herzogsdorf. Here, the elevated plain shows its most attractive face, offering a dreamlike long-distance descent with a blissful stretch of asphalt weaving through the plateau’s foothills down to Böckstein! The trails during the following digression into the Eschelbach stream valley are guaranteed to exhilarate: a short, tricky, steep descent into the forested valley, some streamside biking, then a crunchy climb back up to the plateau. Without a doubt, the most technically demanding part of the entire tour! From the panoramic plateau, you can advance downhill into the Pesenbach stream valley on pleasant side roads and then on to Bimberg on the opposite slope after a brief spell of cruising along at high altitude. Afterwards, one memorable delight follows the next – blissful biking along the Pesenbach valley floor, a breathy climb through forest to Gaisberg, cruising elegantly along with views far off into the distance among a patchwork of fields and huge farmhouses. The last valley detour leads down to the lonely part of the Pesenbach valley: the Pesenbachtal Nature Reserve! Surrounded by a quaint mixed forest, you will then ride upstream along historical tracks and narrow footpaths alongside the amber-coloured stream, awakening thoughts about when the long remote Mühlviertel was first settled in the distant past. After this, pedal back to the panoramic plateau via the secluded Wolfsdoppel valley and onwards to Sankt Martin im Mühlkreis. The special importance of the village only becomes evident with a realisation of its history as the area in which famous Neuhauser granite is mined and a stop on the salt road to Bohemia. Top tip: Neuhauser granite, including in sculpture form, can be seen in the parish church’s artistic ribbed vault, and the region’s delicious granite-filtered beer bespeaks a long tradition of hospitality. Now the way back to the deep Danube Valley begins. A fast-paced descent leads down into the secluded depression that is home to Dreissenbach stream, offering a surprise in the form of a brief but bumpy trail ascent through meadows and woodland. Afterwards, you will enjoy a fabulous panoramic view of the Danube Valley from a ridge – a true highlight of the trip! One short and fun ascent later, you will be crossing the final mini valley towards the magnificent Schloss Neuhaus, a private palace. It was here that the field railway once transported Neuhaus granite from the quarries by cable car down to the Danube. Afterwards, you will dive back into the ancient forested gorge of the Danube Valley, racing down to the Danubeside port of Untermühl, where this same granite was loaded onto ships.
further information:
- Multi-day tour
- Board possible
Public Transit
Location and getting there
How to arrive in the Danube Upper Austrian region?
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- Autumn
Please get in touch for more information.
Lindengasse 9
4040 Linz
Phone +43 732 7277 - 800
Fax machine +43 732 7277 - 804
E-Mail info@donauregion.at
Web www.donauregion.at
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Mountain biking is one of the most wonderful outdoor leisure-time activities. Whilst biking or on a mountain biking tour, mountains and lakes, meadows and cabins are re-discovered in new ways. A couple of rules for fair play in the forest help to avoid conflicts whilst mountain biking.
a.Pedestrians have the right of way: We are accommodating and friendly to pedestrians and hikers. Upon encountering these fellow travellers, we alert them by using the bicycle bell and slowly overtake them. We avoid paths with heavy pedestrian traffic altogether. Take nature into account: We do not leave refuse behind.
b.The braking distance should be half of the total distance visible: We ride at a controlled pace, are ready to brake and maintain a braking distance half as long as the total distance visible, especially in curves, because we always have to count on obstacles on the path. Damage to the path, stones, branches, wood piles, grazing livestock, cattle grids, barriers, tractor-type forestry machines and authorised vehicles pose dangers that we need to be ready for.
c.Don’t drink and drive!: Do not drink alcohol when mountain biking. Take care at stop-off points (dealing with bike racks, dirty shoes or clothing).
It is obligatory to provide first aid!
d.Marked routes, closed paths and blockades: Keep to the marked routes, observe the blockades and accept that these roads are primarily for agricultural and forestry use!
Blockades can often not be avoided and are in your own interest. Biking beyond the intended path and outside of opening times is punishable and turns us into illegal bikers.
e.We are guests in the forest and behave accordingly, including vis-à-vis forestry and hunting staff. Whilst mountain biking, mobile telephones and music players are forbidden! Biking requires your full attention.
f.Avoid unnecessary noise. Out of consideration to the animals living in the wild, we only bike during full daylight. As a principle, we always wear our helmet (even when riding uphill)! Don’t forget emergency supplies: We always have a repair set and bandages along.
g.Don’t overestimate your skills: We should not overdo it when it comes to biking technique and physical fitness. Take the level of difficulty posed by the route into consideration and make a precise estimate of your experience and skills as a biker (braking, bell, lights)!
h.Close gates: We approach grazing livestock at a walking pace and close every gate behind us. We should avoid causing escape and panic reactions in the animals. Nothing stands in the way of the fun and athletic challenge in the mountains and forests!
i.Traffic rules: The general traffic rules (StVO) apply for all the mountain biking routes and we adhere to them. Our bike therefore needs to be in perfect technical condition and equipped in line with the traffic rules, including brakes, a bell and lights. We inspect and service our mountain bikes regularly anyway.
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Interactive elevation profile
Create PDF
Tour-Details
Paths covering: