The National Park Pavilion is a useful landmark for a stay in Gstatterboden: it is only a short walk from the railway station. The pavilion houses an information point for Gesäuse National Park and a small shop. Hikes to Ennstalerhütte and the Hochscheiben mountain bike tour start here; the building is also home to the “Planspitze – Mountain of Contrasts” exhibition. This means you can include nature, outdoor activities and exhibition themes in your travel plans without having to commit to a fixed day route.
Hiking Trails with Different Highlights
The Rauchboden nature trail can start at the Enns bridge in Gstatterboden and is around 4 kilometres long. Its stations give families insights into the geology, fauna and flora of the Gesäuse. This makes nature themes as much a focus as the trail itself. If you are interested in a longer hike, trails to Ennstalerhütte start at the National Park Pavilion. One described route alternates between forest roads, woodland paths and open alpine meadows. This sequence gives you a clearer idea of the route’s character than a time estimate alone, which is not provided here for this hike.
Another option leads from Gstatterboden along the Rauchbodenweg and then takes trail no. 641 to Buchsteinhaus; the walking time is about 2.5 hours. This is different from the challenging crossing of GroĂźer Buchstein: it starts at the National Park Pavilion, passes via Buchsteinhaus and ends in Eisenzieher. These two descriptions help distinguish the starting points and the character of the hikes; they do not describe a single route.
Tours from EnnstalerhĂĽtte
From Ennstalerhütte, the “Teufelssteig” via ferrata takes about 2.5 hours to reach Tieflimauer, at 1,820 metres. Tamischbachturm can be reached from the hut via trail no. 648 in 1.5 hours and is at an elevation of 2,035 metres. You can compare the walking times and elevations for these destinations; both route descriptions start at Ennstalerhütte.
Explore by Bike
The National Park Pavilion is also a useful landmark for mountain biking: the Hochscheiben mountain bike tour starts there. The “Hochscheiben – Ennsbodenweg” tour both starts and ends at the pavilion. The “Ennsbodenweg mountain bike trail” is a separate section: it runs for just under 4 kilometres along the left bank of the Enns to the “Forstgarten” campsite. The endpoint helps you identify this section, while the return to the pavilion is explicitly part of the route description for the loop.
Exhibitions at the National Park Pavilion
The “Planspitze – Mountain of Contrasts” exhibition focuses on the Planspitze massif, which towers above Gstatterboden. It is open from May to October, Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 6 pm; admission is free. Check the opening hours before your visit. A second exhibition, “The Construction of the Kronprinz Rudolf Railway in the Gesäuse”, invites you to learn about the history of the railway line. In 2026, it is open daily from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm, from 1 May to 31 October; admission is also free. As these dates apply to a specific period, it is worth checking the current schedule before your visit.
Camping as a Separate Accommodation Option
If you are considering camping instead of a hotel, the “Forstgarten” campsite is within walking distance of the National Park Pavilion. It is located on the banks of the Enns and has space for around 100 people. The listed facilities include pitches, a fire pit, a camping area and a riverside swimming area; facilities may be seasonal. The capacity is approximate and may be updated by the operator. The right type of accommodation for your trip also depends on whether you are looking for a campsite or somewhere else to stay.
Discover more destinations: Stainach, Gößl, Oppenberg, Großreifling, Ruperting, Gröbming, Bad Mitterndorf, Gössenberg.
For the main travel overview: Liezen.
