From Lauterbach, visitors with different interests are drawn to Dunkelstein, the Bildbuchenkapelle pilgrimage chapel, and the Via Sacra stage between Aggsbach-Dorf and Wilhelmsburg. These points of interest represent different focuses: a hike with a summit destination, the history of a pilgrimage chapel, and a named pilgrimage stage. When planning, you can therefore first decide whether landscape, cultural history, or the route of the Via Sacra should take priority.
Hiking to Dunkelstein
The hiking route from Lauterbach to Dunkelstein is approximately 2 km long. At 625 m, Dunkelstein is the highest point in the southern Dunkelsteinerwald. From the summit, the view extends to Maria Langegg and the Alps. The figures describe different aspects: approximately 2 km refers to the route, while 625 m is the height of the summit. Together, they provide a concrete reference when assessing the hiking destination by distance and views.
Route No. 653 and the Via Sacra
On the return leg of the Maria Bildbuche–Dunkelstein hiking route, follow the red-white-red marked hiking trail No. 653 to Lauterbach. Just outside the village, trail No. 653 leaves the road to Lottersberg on the left and enters the forest; parts of the trail run along narrow forest paths. The transition from the road into the forest marks a change in the route. Check the trail markings on site before setting out.
The Via Sacra stage from Aggsbach-Dorf to Wilhelmsburg passes through Besenbuch and follows circular hiking trail No. 653 to Lauterbach and past Dunkelstein. Its scale differs from that of the approximately 2 km hiking route from the village to the mountain: the stage description gives a route between Aggsbach-Dorf and Wilhelmsburg, while the local hike connects Lauterbach and Dunkelstein. When comparing them, the trail number is not the only important factor: one option is a named Via Sacra stage, the other a hiking route to the summit.
Bildbuchenkapelle and its history
The Bildbuchenkapelle pilgrimage chapel is also known as Maria-Bild-Buchen. It was built in 1894/95 to replace a wooden chapel that had burned down in 1892. The chapel’s history and construction therefore took place at different times: the fire affected the wooden building, while 1894/95 refers to the pilgrimage chapel. As a religious and historical point of interest, it differs from the landscape appeal of Dunkelstein.
Find a holiday apartment in Lauterbach
If you choose Lauterbach as your holiday-apartment search destination, make your choice based on your travel plans. The hiking route to Dunkelstein is described as starting in Lauterbach; the Via Sacra stage runs from Aggsbach-Dorf to Wilhelmsburg. The chapel’s history offers another point of interest to consider when deciding where to stay.
Discover more destinations: Oed, Herzogenburg, Laaben, Ober-Grafendorf, Wilhelmsburg, Altlengbach, Warth, Traismauer
For the main travel overview: Sankt Pölten.
