In Sankt Marein bei Neumarkt, paths by the water sit alongside reminders of the area’s church, castle and mining history. The Graggerschlucht gorge follows a mountain stream to a cascading waterfall; in Pöllau, a restored blast furnace and a mining museum tell the story of mining in earlier times. Lind Castle adds to the range with a permanent exhibition and a memorial site. To help choose where to stay, consider a simple question: would you like to spend most of your time on hiking trails, exploring historical topics, or both?

Hiking Along the Water

The hiking route through the Graggerschlucht gorge follows a mountain stream to the cascading waterfall. The circular hiking trail “Back to the (Pöllau) Source” is devoted entirely to the subject of water; it leads to the center of St. Marein and back to the Graggerschlucht parking lot. The two trails also differ in their destinations: the route through the gorge leads to the cascade, while the circular trail combines the water theme with a visit to the town center and a return to the parking lot.

There is a parking lot in Mühldorf for visitors to the Graggerschlucht gorge. Check current parking conditions before your trip, as parking options may change. Access to the gorge is seasonal: daily free access is indicated for summer, while it is closed during the winter months. Check current access conditions before visiting.

Churches, a Castle and Places of Remembrance

The Catholic parish church of the Assumption of Mary in Sankt Marein bei Neumarkt is listed in the monument protection ordinance for Murau. The parish church of the Assumption of Mary in St. Marein is also listed with the dates 1252 (1491). The entire complex of Lind Castle is also listed in the monument protection ordinance for Murau.

At Lind Castle, the Andere Heimat Museum includes the permanent exhibition “The Familiar & the Foreign” and a memorial site dedicated to the history of the Mauthausen subcamp. There is also a castle park on the grounds surrounding Lind Castle. The exhibition and memorial site cover different historical topics: the permanent exhibition has its own title, while the memorial site is dedicated to the history of the subcamp.

Mining and Art History in Pöllau

Together with the miners’ house, the restored blast furnace is one of the surviving reminders of Pöllau’s importance as an ore deposit. The mining museum in Pöllau offers insights into mining in earlier centuries. Here, surviving remains of an ore deposit stand alongside a museum devoted to the history of mining.

At St. James’s Church, the focus is on art history: the surviving paintings are thought to be Early Gothic and to date from the mid-13th century. This cautious classification is important; the paintings are not described as having a definitive date.

Water Underground and in the Rock

The source springs in Pöllau and Zeutschach are connected by an underground cave system. The glacial potholes in the cemetery of St. Marein show a different water process: they formed when meltwater scoured the rock as the ice masses of the last Ice Age melted. The glacial potholes are particularly well formed there.

This brings together two different aspects of water: the underground connection between the source springs and the shaping of the rock by meltwater. Along with the water-themed hiking trails, this offers another perspective on the subject—from a described route to geological formations.

Discover more destinations: Kaindorf-Süd, Wildbad Einöd, Frojach-Katsch, Scheifling, Winklern bei Oberwölz, Falkendorf, Murau, Sankt Blasen

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