Visitors who want to learn about Dietach through its architectural and everyday history will find several distinct points of interest: Dietach Parish Church, with surviving parts of the old church; Stadlkirchen Branch Church; and the Gallhuberhof Agricultural Technology Museum. The Ök.Rat Johann Gerstmayr Circular Hiking Trail adds a walking route, named landscape sections and, in fine weather, views of the foothills of the Alps to these cultural attractions. Your choice of activities during your stay may therefore depend on whether you are more interested in church art, agricultural collections or outdoor recreation.
Churches and their distinct historical layers
The new Dietach Parish Church was consecrated on 21 November 1982, after 16 months of construction. The tower and presbytery of the old parish church have been preserved; the presbytery serves as a weekday and baptismal chapel. The new building and the surviving parts of the former church thus represent different chapters in the local history of the church.
The colourful stained-glass windows in the parish church were created by the Schlierbach glass-painting workshop and Prof. Rudolf Kolbitsch of Linz. Alongside the building’s history, the stained glass is a distinct art-historical feature: it draws attention to the church’s design and the origins of its windows.
A chapel consecrated in honour of St Margaret is associated with Stadlkirchen Branch Church in 1074. Around 1350, the St Florian School of Painting created frescoes in the presbytery. The two dates are about three centuries apart, marking the early chapel consecration and a later artistic embellishment. A traditional church fair with a village fair is held there on the Sunday after Easter, known as Low Sunday. If you would like to factor this fair into your travel plans, check the date for the year in question.
Rural everyday culture at the Gallhuberhof
The Gallhuberhof Agricultural Technology Museum brings two museums together under one roof. The grounds cover about 8,000 m², of which 2,800 m² is occupied by the exhibition hall. The museum houses 4,000 exhibits. Topics on display include rural everyday culture, with traditional costumes and Goldhauben bonnets, furniture, a cabbage cellar and hand tools.
The Gallhuberhof is a four-sided farmstead that has been passed down through 27 generations since 1420. The history of the farm and the collection offer different perspectives: the farm’s history spans generations, while the exhibits explore various aspects of rural life, from clothing and furnishings to food storage and crafts. Visitors interested in rural heritage will find more here than just a single group of objects.
Circular hiking trail and getting your bearings around Dietach
The Ök.Rat Johann Gerstmayr Circular Hiking Trail starts at the church square in Dietach. It runs between the fields and Weißinfang into Panholz; the final section passes over Pfarrberg and offers panoramic views of the foothills of the Alps in fine weather. The starting point and named landscape sections provide clear orientation along the route. The views depend on the weather, so if they matter to your plans, take this into account when choosing your day to visit.
Dietach lies just a few kilometres north of the town of Steyr. Traffic-calmed cycling routes have been developed to connect Dietach and Steyr. If you plan to use this cycling connection, check that the routes are currently open before setting out. This keeps your cycling plans separate from the hiking route described above, while both routes offer different ways to explore Dietach and its surroundings.
Discover more destinations: Steyr, Reichraming, Garsten, Maria Neustift, Sankt Ulrich Bei Steyr, Weyer, Grossraming, Goldberg.
For the overview of the wider region: Steyr-Land.
