Mostviertel Austria offers up some of the most unique hiking I've ever done including themed music hiking and historic hikes!

1. Historic Hiking in Mostviertel, Austria
monkeysandmountains.com /historic-hiking-in-mostviertel-austria
It ’s no secret t hat I love hiking – and Most viert el, Aust ria of f ers up some of t he most unusual
hiking I’ve ever done!
My first day in Mostviertel was spent hiking to Music and Mountains, a unique event held every June in which you hike to
different locations to hear bands play. It was so much fun and unlike anything I’ve experienced before! In addition to a
second day of Music and Mountains, it also included something I’ve called Historic Hiking.
It
En tr a n ce to Er l e b n i s we l t Me n d l i n g ta l
started at Erlebniswelt Mendlingtal, a mostly open- air museum where visitors can see one of Europe’s last timber rafting
facilities, a Blacksmith house and a water- powered mill. Located in Göstling an der Ybbs am Hochkar, right across the
street from the Hotel Fahrnberger, it was part of an area known as the Eisenstraße (Iron Street in English),named so for
the iron ore extraction which reached its height in the 17th and 18th century. The processing of the iron ore has always
been on waterways since the mill is powered by water and wood was needed to be turned into wood charcoal to heat
the iron.
For

2. For
me
t he
real
O p e n a i r m u s e u m a t Er l e b n i s we l t Me n l i n g ta l
highlight was t he HOLZweg (Wood Weg). It’s a relatively flat hiking path with wooden bridges that cross through a
beautiful gorge where the wood was brought down stream to the facility. Travel t ip: woodcutter demonstrations (as the
one shown below) can be seen the first Sunday and third Saturday of every month from May through October.
I

3. I
loved
t his
hike.
It was
easy
and
Tr a d i ti o n a l wo o d cu tte r d e m o n s tr a ti o n a l o n g th e HO LZ we g h i ki n g p a th
popular with families but really peaceful:
The
Ti m b e r r a fti n g fa ci l i ty a t Er l e b n i s we l t

4. HOLZweg ends at the
Hammerherrenhaus where we ate lunch,
listened to another singer as part of the
Music and Mountains event, then returned
the same way. Not only did I get music,
but I also got some history!
Know Bef ore You Go t o
Erlebniswelt
Mendlingt al/HOLZweg:
The open- air museum is open from
May 1st – October 31st from 9:00 –
5:00pm.
Admission costs €7 per adult.
Signs in Erlebniswelt Mendlingtal are
only in German so you won’t get as
much out of if you don’t read German.
The HOLZweg is an easy, flat hike
that is very family friendly. I really
enjoyed the hike.
Check out the fish ponds on the way
near Hammerherrenhaus, which
serves fresh fish from these ponds
and lets you eat like a local. Travel
t ip: try the fish, they’re famous for it.
Thank you to the Mostviertel Tourism
Board for introducing me to some unique
hiking experiences. As always all opinions
expressed are my own.
HO LZ we g ( Wo o d we g ) h i ki n g p a th th r o u g h th e g o r g e i s b e a u ti fu l .

5. Cr ys ta l cl e a r l a ke a l o n g th e HO LZ we g h i ki n g p a th

6. Me s to p p i n g to e n j o y th e s ce n e r y a l o n g th e HO LZ we g