A mill first mentioned in 1599 and a parish church on a hill above the left bank of the Steyr give Obergrünburg two distinctive historical landmarks. The Haunold Mill is also located in the Steyr Gorge nature reserve. This brings local history and gorge scenery together in one place. During a stay, you can explore Obergrünburg through a range of themes: religious history, the mill’s former industrial use and the distinctive features of the Steyr Gorge.

Church and Chapel of the Cross: historical connections

Grünburg Parish Church is dedicated to Saint George and is picturesquely situated on a hill above the left bank of the Steyr, in the cadastral municipality of Obergrünburg. The town’s history also includes a castle that Duke Albrecht III besieged in 1390, at the same time as Leonstein. Its foundations were used in 1792 to build the Chapel of the Cross. The Baroque altar from Grünburg Parish Church is now in the Chapel of the Cross. Several historical connections can therefore be distinguished: the dedication of the parish church, the siege of the castle and the later use of its foundations. The altar’s present location adds a specific piece of furnishing to this local history.

Haunold Mill: first mention and transformation

The Haunold Mill links two distinct dates. It was first mentioned in 1599 in the land register of the Lordship of Steyr; in 1840, it was converted into a sheet-metal and rolling mill. The dates answer different questions: 1599 marks the first mention, while 1840 marks the later conversion. The mill is located in Obergrünburg, in the Steyr Gorge nature reserve. Its distinctive setting was also the reason it was chosen as a filming location. While the church and the Chapel of the Cross connect religious history with the reuse of a building, the focus at the mill is on how its use changed.

Steyr Gorge and cultural landscape

Between Agonitz and Obergrünburg, the Steyr Gorge contains exceptionally well-preserved, natural conglomerate gorges that are 30 to 50 metres deep and 100 to 200 metres wide. Depth and width describe two different dimensions: the first refers to the gorge’s drop, the second to its lateral extent. Gravel banks and islands provide suitable habitats for kingfishers, among other species. The cultural landscape of Obergrünburg is also varied. It includes intensively managed meadows, nutrient-poor embankments, areas partly covered with fruit trees, and terraced embankments with some young spruce plantations. The nutrient-poor embankment rich in brome grass is home to Carthusian pinks and meadow sage. The gorge, riverbanks and embankments thus offer different perspectives on the landscape.

R 802 Steinbach Circular Trail

One starting point for the R 802 Steinbach Circular Trail is at the Haunold Mill in Obergrünburg; the trail runs through Steinbach/Steyr. The circular route offers a different focus from the mill’s history: a named starting point in Obergrünburg and a described route through Steinbach/Steyr.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Haselböckau, Spital Am Pyhrn, Steinbach Am Ziehberg, Molln, Kirchdorf An Der Krems, Pettenbach, Grünburg, Dauersdorf.

Return to the main travel overview: Kirchdorf An Der Krems.