Hiking trails in Stössing lead through meadows, forests and orchards. The Kleine and Große Stössinger circular hiking trails offer different highlights: the Kleine includes Stations of the Cross and a monastery cemetery in its route, while the Große offers changing views and passes through varied landscapes. The parish church of St. Aegidius and other traces of local culture also shape the character of the village. When planning your trip, you can weigh up whether hiking, cultural heritage or your journey there should determine your stay.
Hiking trails with different highlights
The Kleine Stössinger circular hiking trail starts in the village centre, by the municipal office. It passes old Stations of the Cross leading into the forest and includes a visit to the small monastery cemetery nearby. If you are interested in religious wayside landmarks and local history, you will find a clearly described connection between the trail and cultural heritage here.
On the Große Stössinger circular hiking trail, views of Stössing, Hegerberg, Schöpfl and Gföhlberg, as well as the valleys of the surrounding villages, alternate with stretches of forest, meadows and pastures. The trail surfaces also vary: the route follows forest paths and gravel roads, with some meadow paths and a stretch along a farm track. Discoveries along the way include the abandoned Ödhof above Stössing, the blueberry forest beyond Hochgschaid, the Vienna Woods sandstone flysch ravines in Kottinggrub, orchards along the Hochstraß and the service tree grove above the Gritschenberger farmstead.
Another hiking tour leads from Stössing to Hegerberg. It is rated moderate and is listed as 4.12 km long, taking 1:30 hours, with 352 metres of ascent and 43 metres of descent. The summit cross on Hegerberg is at an altitude of 655 m. The distance, duration and elevation gain provide concrete details for planning your day; as trail conditions can change, check the current situation before setting out. Hegerberg is also a popular destination for hikers, cyclists, and car and motorcycle drivers.
Church and other traces of culture
The parish church of St. Aegidius in Stössing is a medieval church with late Gothic and Baroque elements. The main choir is late Gothic and features buttresses and pointed-arch windows. The high altar bears statues of St. Aegidius, St. Wendelin and St. Leonhard. The different architectural features and figures give the church interior its own distinctive art-historical character.
Other tangible traces of culture can be found in Hochgschaid and Hochstraß: a listed aqueduct is located in the Au area of Hochgschaid. Seven tabernacle wayside shrines created by artist Inge Naske stand in the cemetery in the village of Hochstraß. The service tree is also part of the region’s cultural heritage. It was rediscovered as a cultural asset in the region around Stössing and is increasingly being introduced to a wider audience.
Other interests and getting there
There are several places in the Stössing municipality where you can ride horses and drive horse-drawn vehicles, as well as board horses. So, as well as hiking, equestrian sports and horse boarding are local interests that may be relevant when planning a stay.
Stössing has a bus connection to Böheimkirchen, where there is a railway station on the Western Railway line. If you would like to travel by bus and train, check the timetable in advance, as schedules can change. For road travel, Landesstraße 110 passes through Stössing. It connects the village with Landesstraße 119 between Altlengbach and Hainfeld, and with Landesstraße 129 between Böheimkirchen and St. Pölten. This lets you plan your journey around the available transport connections and the hiking or cultural interests that matter to you during your stay.
Discover more destinations: Wilhelmsburg, Maria Anzbach, Linden, Lauterbach, Altlengbach, Loich, Kapelln, Municipality of Markersdorf-Haindorf.
For the overarching travel overview: Sankt Pölten.
