A raised bog, a mountain ridge that is usually free of fog and offers views across the Kremstal, and a lime kiln showcasing traditional rural lime burning give Steinbach am Ziehberg a distinct character for a stay combining hiking and local history. The hikes vary in their starting points, destinations and stated durations; the bog, forest and cultural sites add further highlights. You can choose your focus depending on whether you are planning a longer hike or are particularly interested in the landscape and local history.
Choose a hike by duration and destination
From Steinbach village, the hike leads via the Gradner Alm (1,240 m) to Pfannstein (1,423 m). It takes about three hours. The Gradner Alm is open on weekends outside winter; bear this in mind when planning your visit.
Another hike to Schabenreitner Stein (1,143 m) starts at Grassner Kreuz on the Ziehberg state road, at an elevation of about 700 m. It is listed as taking about an hour and a half and is classified as easy. You can extend the hike via JH Sattelhalde to Gradn Alm (1,240 m).
The estimated times make it easy to compare the hikes directly: the hike to Schabenreitner Stein is estimated at about an hour and a half, shorter than the roughly three-hour hike to Pfannstein. Both are approximate estimates to help you plan your day, not precise, minute-by-minute schedules.
Landscape and forest history
The return leg of the Ederbildweg is particularly striking: it leads along the ridge, which is usually free of fog, to Kronbauer and offers beautiful panoramic views across the Kremstal. If views over the valley are a priority on your hike, this section of the trail is a specific scenic highlight.
Wolfswiese offers a different highlight. It is a raised bog that was once a picturesque mountain lake. This place brings together two points in time: today’s bog landscape and its former appearance as a lake. This feature adds a perspective on how the landscape has changed to the hiking destinations.
The Bäckerbrandweg also passes through a specifically named section of forest: the “Bäckerbrand” high forest. This woodland once belonged to a baker and was destroyed by fire. A lovingly maintained hunting lodge stands in a clearing. The name, the history of the woodland and the lodge give this section of the trail its own points of interest, alongside the bog and the views.
Lime kiln and local places of remembrance
The lime kiln museum presents traditional rural lime burning in a lime kiln built in 1926 and renovated in 1998. These dates refer to the construction and renovation of the same kiln; the focus is on lime burning in a rural context. Visitors interested in crafts and local history will find a specific cultural highlight here, alongside the hikes.
The “Zimmerter Brunnen” forest chapel was built following a dispute between poachers and hunters. The Ederbild is a wayside shrine. Together, these two different places of remembrance add to the area’s cultural character: a chapel with a specific reason for its construction and a wayside shrine.
Discover more destinations: Kirchdorf an der Krems, Oberschlierbach, Edlbach, Spital am Pyhrn, Etzelsdorf, Klaus an der Pyhrnbahn, St. Pankraz, Vorderstoder.
Go to the main travel overview: Kirchdorf An Der Krems.
