Abtenau is in the Lammertal valley. When planning your trip, you can choose from a range of focuses: a loop with a specific distance and walking time, hiking trails in the alpine pasture area, rural cultural heritage, art in the parish church and a leisure pool. This lets you organize nature and culture around your timeframe and interests. The differences are especially clear between the numbered loop at Lake Egelsee and the trails along the Postalm Panoramic Road, and between the historical periods of the Arlerhhof and the parish church of St. Blasius.
Trails at Lake Egelsee and in the alpine pasture area
The “Lebenspfad” trail starts and ends right in the center of Abtenau. The 5 km loop around Lake Egelsee takes about two hours to walk. The time estimate is approximate, but offers a specific guide if you want to plan your day based on more than just distance. Lake Egelsee near Abtenau lies in a landscape conservation area designated in 1971. The route length, approximate walking time and conservation-area designation each provide a different point of reference for the loop.
Another option for walks and hikes leads through the extensive alpine pasture area: several parking lots along the Postalm Panoramic Road serve as starting and ending points. This gives you two different ways to plan: a single loop with a distance and approximate walking time, or trails through the alpine pasture area with several parking lots as starting and ending points. When choosing, you can use the specific time and distance for the Lebenspfad or the starting and ending points for the trails in the alpine pasture area as a guide.
Rural cultural heritage at the Arlerhhof
The Arlerhhof Local History Museum in the Au district, at the foot of the Tennengebirge, showcases a farm typical of the Lammertal from pre-industrial times. The Arlergut was first mentioned in documents in 1325. The museum complex comprises a farmhouse, an agricultural building with a stable, a Troadkasten grain store, a bee house, a mill and a sawmill. Together, these different components bring the themes of living and working on a farm to life.
Technical details are also part of the farm’s story: the mill is still fully operational. The sawmill is also still fully operational and equipped with a Venetian-type saw frame. Those interested in rural cultural heritage will therefore find concrete information about the mill and sawmill alongside the buildings. The documentary mention in 1325 provides a historical point of reference without reducing the different parts of the museum complex to the same function or period.
History and art at St. Blasius
The parish church of St. Blasius in Abtenau was first documented on May 6, 1191, as a church with all parish rights. Later works of art mark distinct periods: the Renaissance frescoes in the nave depict the “Works of Mercy” and the “Judgment of Solomon.” Art historians date them to the mid-16th century.
In the 17th century, a new Baroque high altar and Baroque side altars were created and consecrated for St. Blasius. This makes it possible to distinguish different periods of art history in the same church: the frescoes dated to the mid-16th century and the Baroque altars of the following century. Together with the early documentation of the church as having all parish rights, this offers a view of St. Blasius across several periods.
Swimming as a focus of its own
Abtenau’s leisure pool has a 25-meter pool with four lanes. This is a different kind of activity from the trails through the landscape, and a specific pool size to consider when planning your trip. If you want to include different forms of exercise, you can consider swimming as a focus in its own right alongside walks and hikes.
Discover more destinations: Rußbachsaag, Scheffau am Tennengebirge, Annaberg-Lungötz, Steuer, Kuchl, Krispl, Oberalm, Rußbach Am Paß Gschütt.
Return to the main travel overview: Hallein.
