Berndorf near Salzburg reveals itself through several different facets: its farming-influenced cultural landscape offers trails to viewpoints and around Lake Grabensee; the parish church and Annakapelle tell stories of Late Gothic architecture and pilgrimage. There is also a pump track and a cycle route that runs directly through the village. If you would like to explore nature and culture side by side during your getaway, these very different destinations can serve as your guide.

Landscape and Views

Berndorf is shaped by a gently varied agricultural landscape dotted with farmsteads and hamlets. One notable viewpoint is the linden tree at Thurn above the Kalchgrubergut. It stands at an elevation of 687 m and has been a protected natural monument since 1992. From there, the view extends across the village, far into Upper Austria’s Innviertel region and south towards the mountains. Here, landscape and views come together in one specific place: the linden tree is also a destination on one of the hiking trails described here.

The municipality also includes Lake Grabensee, the smallest of the three Trumer Lakes. The lake is surrounded by a landscape and nature conservation area. Its largely undeveloped, natural shores and the extensive wetlands on its western and northern shores provide habitats and nesting grounds for rare animal species. These natural features give the lake a different character from the viewpoint at Thurn: here, the focus is on the shores, wetlands and habitats.

Two Hiking Trails, Two Highlights

One hiking trail leads from Berndorf through Oberkarellen, Stadl and Buchwinkl to the plague column and on to the linden tree at Thurn. It then passes through several hamlets on the way back to Berndorf. Along this route, you will encounter both the viewpoint and the agricultural landscape with its scattered hamlets.

Another route description leads from the village through the hamlet of Mangelberg to Gransdorf, around Lake Grabensee and back to Berndorf via the hamlets of Stemesed, Flurnsbach and Kreuzweg. The difference between the two routes lies in their stated destinations: one leads to the linden tree at Thurn, while the other goes around the lake. When choosing, you can therefore decide whether you would rather focus on the viewpoint or the landscape around Lake Grabensee.

Church Architecture and Local History

The present-day parish church and Annakapelle were built around 1440 in the Late Gothic style. The parish church tower acquired its distinctive Baroque onion dome in 1684. At its top, instead of a cross, is a two-metre-high Madonna of the Sunbeams. This makes it the only church tower of its kind in the Salzburg Flachgau region. The tower thus offers a clearly identifiable architectural detail, while the date when the church and chapel were built marks their earlier, Late Gothic origins.

The history of pilgrimage is also part of the village’s identity: around 1700, the parish church was a much-visited pilgrimage site known as Maria in den Erlen. A bronze statue of Franz Xaver Gruber stands by the cemetery wall. He lived from 25 November 1787 to 7 June 1863 and composed the melody for the song “Silent Night, Holy Night.” The statue and the church’s historical name as a pilgrimage site offer two distinct ways to explore Berndorf’s religious and musical history.

Cycle Route and Pump Track

The Bajuwaren cycle route passes directly through Berndorf and runs from Mattsee to Waging am See. This makes the village part of a longer cycle route that extends beyond the municipality. The pump track on Sportplatzstraße is a different kind of attraction: it is a paved loop with rollers, steep curves and jumps. It can be ridden without pedalling on a variety of equipment, from bicycles to skateboards. The cycle route and the pump track therefore offer different ways to get around by bike or on other equipment.

A Village on the Pilgrimage Route

In front of the Neuwirt inn on the old village square, a VIA NOVA fountain marks the municipality’s location on the European VIA NOVA pilgrimage route. Together with the pilgrimage history and the hiking trails described here, this connection shows another side of Berndorf: the village can be explored not only through its landscapes and buildings, but also through its links to pilgrimage routes.

Discover more destinations: Plain, Hallwang, Sankt Gilgen, Koppl, Anthering, Bergheim, Salzburg, Gschwand.

Go to the overview of the region: Salzburg-Flachgau.