Eschenau An Der Traisen is nestled in a side valley of the Traisen and is Austria’s first eco-village. The municipality has many hiking trails, as well as the Eco-Village route for mountain biking. This means you can choose between different focuses for your stay: a circular hike on the Kaiserkogel, or cultural history in the village at the Parish Church of St. Catherine and the Eschenau primary school.
Hiking on the Kaiserkogel
The circular hike from Eschenau to the Kaiserkogel goes via “Sonnleitner” to the Kaiserkogel Hut. It takes around 3.5 hours and involves 300 metres of elevation gain and 300 metres of descent. The return route goes via the Rempelsberg and through the Sonnleitgraben back to the starting point. Its approximate duration makes the loop a distinct time block in your day’s itinerary; the elevation gain and descent are listed separately.
The meeting point for the circular hike is listed as the Eschenau b. Traisen Ortsmitte bus stop by the municipal office and fire station, at 10:20 a.m. Check the meeting time before setting out.
Mountain biking
The Eco-Village route is a mountain bike tour that starts at Eschenau’s main square by the municipal office. It runs via Kaiserberg, Kaiserkogel Hut, Steubach, Scheibmühl and Inzenreith before returning to Eschenau. Its starting point differs from that of the hike: for the hike, the Eschenau b. Traisen Ortsmitte bus stop by the municipal office and fire station is listed as the meeting point. You can therefore choose whether you would prefer to hike up the Kaiserkogel or ride the Eco-Village route by mountain bike.
Getting your bearings in the landscape
Kaiserkogel Hut is a shared waypoint for the walking loop and the Eco-Village mountain bike tour. It is located in the eco-village of Eschenau at an elevation of 716 metres and is surrounded by meadows and forests. Eschenau’s location in a side valley of the Traisen describes the broader geographical setting; meadows and forests characterise the area around the hut. The Lindenberg reaches an elevation of 946 metres in Eschenau. The Linden are accessible from Eschenau via a walk of about 20 minutes.
Church and local history
The Parish Church of St. Catherine is an Early Gothic hall church dating from around 1300. It features an altarpiece of Saint Catherine by Martino Altomonte, dating from 1737. The building’s design and altarpiece thus offer two different historical points of reference at the same site. For those interested in culture, the church can be understood not only through its approximate date of construction, but also through a later work in its furnishings.
The Eschenau primary school was built in 1908 as a jubilee school. Together, the church, altarpiece and school form a brief local chronology: from the Early Gothic church around 1300, through the 1737 altarpiece, to the school building of 1908. The jubilee designation refers to the school building; it adds another chapter in local history to the church-related dates.
Discover more destinations: Sankt Aegyd Am Neuwalde, Erlaufboden, Kleinzell, Rohrbach an der Gölsen, Annaberg Bei Mariazell, Ramsau Bei Hainfeld, Sankt Veit An Der Gölsen, Hohenberg.
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