Wachau World Heritage Trail 05: Mühldorf-Maria Laach (Jauerling-Wachau Nature Park)

Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 13,34 km
Duration: 5:30 h
Ascent: 850 m elevation gain
Descent: 612 m elevation gain

ATTENTION - DETOUR ON THE WORLD HERITAGE TRAIL - STAGE 5 MÜHLDORF - MARIA LAACH Due to forestry work, the Welterbesteig Wachau - Wachau World Heritage Trail is completely closed on stage 5 Mühldorf - Maria Laach in the Weißenstein area for safety reasons. Please follow the local detour markings. ATTENTION - DETOUR ON THE WORLD HERITAGE TRAIL - STAGE 5 MÜHLDORF - MARIA LAACH Due to forestry work, the Wachau World Heritage Trail is completely closed for safety reasons on stage 5 Mühldorf - Maria Laach in the Weißenstein area. Please follow the local detour signs. From Mühldorf to Maria Maria Laach we hike through a magnificent landscape in the Jauerling Nature Park, the highest mountain on the Danube. Fantastic panoramic views, the highest vineyards and the nature park house with its Wachau terrace make this tour an unforgettable experience.

Starting point of the tour: Mühldorf, market square
Tour destination: Maria Laach, market square

Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 13,34 km
Duration: 5:30 h
Ascent: 850 m elevation gain
Descent: 612 m elevation gain

Fitness level required:
5/6
Overall experience:
5/6
Scenery:
6/6

Lowest point345 m
Highest point960 m

Stage tour
Nice views
With refreshment stops

Downloads

Description

Welterbesteig Wachau - Wachau World Heritage Trail: From Mühldorf to Maria Laach

The stage from Mühldorf to Maria Laach leads from the Danube valley up into the heights of the Jauerling-Wachau Nature Park. Over the Trenning (628 m), the trail runs through the highest vineyard in Lower Austria, the Ried Trenning, and on up to the Jauerling, which at 960 meters is the highest mountain along the entire Danube. The landscape opens up to wide mountain ranges and offers impressive panoramic views far beyond the Wachau.

From the nature park house at around 915 meters, the route leads across the Jauerlinger high plateau and past the small hamlets of Gießhübl with its Wehrhof, Zeißing with its moated castle and castle ruins as well as the vineyard. The destination of this stage is the traditional pilgrimage site of Maria Laach with its Gothic pilgrimage church and the famous farmers' market, which provides an atmospheric end to this high-altitude hike with its stunning views.

Hiking along the Welterbesteig Wachau - Wachau World Heritage Trail reveals step by step why the Wachau has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage region. Along finely curated World Heritage spots, the defining World Heritage highlights become visible - the interplay of historic cultural landscape, traditional viticulture, extraordinary natural spaces and the Danube as a shaping element.

The Welterbesteig Wachau - Wachau World Heritage Trail has also been awarded the Austrian Hiking Seal of Quality. This certification stands for high quality standards in terms of route guidance, signposting, safety and infrastructure and confirms the World Heritage Trail as a reliable and high-quality hiking offer in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Equipment Sturdy hiking boots, rain protection, sufficient drinks and food, as well as a Wachau hiking map and a wine tavern calendar. You can find an equipment list at www.welterbesteig.at under the section Service/Tips.
Route description We leave Mühldorf market square heading towards Spitz, pass the inn Weißes Rössl and the municipal office, then turn right and cross the Spitzer Bach. Now the ascent to the summit cross on Mount Trenning begins. From the summit, we go down to the hamlet Thurn with the Ried Trenning, the highest vineyard in Lower Austria at about 450 m. In the hamlet, we begin the ascent to Jauerling. On picturesque forest paths and forest roads, we hike to the Nature Park House and its Wachau terrace (stamp station). From there, it takes 10 minutes to go right up to the summit cross of Jauerling. We pass the parking lot of the Nature Park House, turn right and reach the Turner meadow. Here we keep left and can already see the lookout tower on Jauerling, where a panorama awaits us from Schneeberg to Watzmann. Afterwards, we hike down to the mountain station of the ski lift and pass the lumberjack hut Stauferhütte into the forest.The forest path leads us to a clearing near Gießhübl, where we can make a detour to the staffed Haberghütte opposite the medieval fortified farm Gießhübl. Over the historic church path, we descend with great views of Melk Abbey and Maria Laach to Zeißing. At the intersection before the village, we turn left for a detour to the rest area at the ruins of Zeißing Castle and the water castle. Back at the intersection, we follow the farm road uphill to the hamlet Weinberg – great panorama – and shortly after reach our stage destination at the market square in Maria Laach.
Parking In the center of Mühldorf or in the center of Maria Laach.
Getting there A1 to Melk exit, continue via B3 and B217 to Mühldorf or Maria Laach.
Public transport The places are unfortunately not directly connected by public transport. For your return journey to the starting point, we recommend the taxi company Bernhardt from Spitz, tel.: 02713/2222The journey to Mühldorf is possible by line 715 Krems-Spitz-Melk or Melk-Spitz-Krems and line 718 Am Schuß-Mühldorf-Spitz or Spitz-Mühldorf-Am Schuß from the stations Melk or Krems with a transfer in Spitz. On weekends and public holidays, the call bus Jauerling 722 Spitz-Jauerling-Mühldorf-Spitz runs additionally. This follows a fixed route and must be reserved by phone at least 60 minutes before departure at +43 800 222322.A station of Nextbike rental bikes (EUR 1/hour) is located in Mühldorf.
Editor’s tip Maria Laach Farmers Market: The farmers of Jauerling offer their specialties every Saturday in the Kerblerhaus at the market square in Maria Laach. Opening hours always 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., 02712/531.The ski hut on Jauerling also invites you to stop by in summer. Opening hours: Wed, Thu, Sun 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fri-Sat: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The large parking lot at the ski lift is available free of charge as a motorhome parking space in summer. www.jauerling.at

Recommended period

Current weather in Mühldorf

3° to 9°

Today, 04.03.2026

Partly cloudy

Wind speed0,5 km/h

1° to 10°

Tomorrow, 05.03.2026

Mainly clear

Wind speed1,9 km/h

For dining and accommodation, we recommend Best of Wachau businesses: www.bestof-wachau.at. Best of Wachau businesses are located in Mühldorf and Maria Laach.

Further dining options/opening hours can be found here.

For easy and convenient route planning, the Wachau-Nibelungengau-Kremstal app is recommended. Simply download for Android or iPhone.

Letzte Änderung: 25 Feb 2026