If you are considering Laimbach am Ostrong for a hiking getaway, you can choose between a high-altitude hiking trail, two circular routes and a regional long-distance hiking trail. The routes offer different points of comparison in terms of length, surface, difficulty and duration. The town’s history also offers specific topics, from the parish church to a wayside chapel and the “Ostrong” farm. This makes it easy to plan your trip around your own interests in hiking and culture.
Compare hiking trails by distance and time
The Hirschenstein high-altitude hiking trail starts at Laimbach Parish Church and is 16 km long. It runs 70% along forest roads and 30% along paved farm roads. If the trail surface matters to you as well as the distance, this breakdown gives you a specific point of comparison when planning your hikes.
The Laimbach circular hiking trail starts and ends at the parish church. This easy route is 7.06 km long and is listed as taking 1 hour 30 minutes; along the way, you can enjoy a view of the Ostrong, whose highest peak is the 1,061 m Peilstein. The Kälberhof circular hiking trail is 5.22 km long, rated moderate and also listed as taking 1 hour 30 minutes. It passes through Thaya and reaches the Kälberhof farm road. The same estimated time therefore applies to two routes with different distances and difficulty levels.
The regional circular hiking trail No. 22 is on a different scale. It runs for around 170 km through the Southern Waldviertel hiking region and passes through Laimbach. Compared with the local circular routes, both its length and regional course set it apart. When comparing the trails, you can distinguish between shorter circular routes and one that extends across the hiking region.
Church, wayside chapel and farm history
The Church of St Margaret in Laimbach became an independent parish in 1336. For visitors interested in culture, this year is a specific reference point in the town’s parish history.
East of Laimbach is a wayside chapel with a devotional image of Maria Taferl. The image was created in the 19th century and has been repainted, adding another religious theme to the history of the parish.
The “Ostrong” farm lies southwest of Laimbach on the slope of Peilstein. It may have been a tower farm dating from the 14th century. This interpretation remains a possibility and should therefore be understood differently from the date when the parish was established.
The three time references make different claims: 1336 is the year the parish was established, the devotional image dates from the 19th century, and the interpretation of the farm as a 14th-century tower farm is explicitly presented as a possibility. This brings together a specific turning point in church history and two distinct topics in cultural history.
Driving directions for the Riederberg route
To reach the Riederberg route from the west, take the A1 to the Ybbs exit, continue on the B25 to Persenbeug, then take the B36 to Laimbach am Ostrong. This clearly identifies the sequence of roads for this approach.
Discover more destinations: Leiben, Ybbs an der Donau, Nächst Altenmarkt, Sankt Oswald, Blindenmarkt, Dunkelsteinerwald, Bergland, Schönbühel an der Donau.
Return to the overview of the region: Melk.
