Wachau World Heritage Trail 13: Unterbergern-Mautern

Emergency call mountain rescue Wachau: 140

Sturdy hiking shoes, rain protection, sufficient drinks and food as well as the Wachau hiking map and a Heurigen calendar. An equipment list can be found at www.welterbesteig.at under the Service/Tips section.

The stage begins in the center of Unterbergern. In town, several wine taverns invite you to stop for a cozy break. Follow the main street toward the southwest; after about 300 m, turn left and then immediately right. The path leads uphill, and at the next intersection, turn left. After a few minutes, you’ll reach the “Am Giritzer” plateau. Just before the model airplane field, turn right and continue on to a small wooded area and the Red Cross. There, the trail leads straight ahead to the rest area by the lime tree near Baumgarten, which offers a magnificent view of Krems, Stein, Mautern, and Göttweig Abbey.

Turn right and walk a short distance along the country road; at the next fork, turn left onto the Zeiling farm road. Follow this road to the end, then turn right at the main road. The path leads through the small Steinaweger wine cellar lane and, after about 150 m, turns left downhill toward Steinaweg. Once at the bottom, turn right and then left over a small bridge to the Steinaweg Chapel. After crossing another small bridge over the Fladnitz Stream, the ascent begins up the Göttweiger Berg toward the abbey. After crossing the railroad tracks, the trail continues uphill. The trail leads through an untouched grove of hornbeams, oaks, and pines up to Göttweig Abbey (stamp station), where you can stop for a bite to eat at the abbey restaurant.

The trail then descends steadily into the winegrowing village of Furth. At the train station, turn left and pass under the railroad tracks. At the second street after that, turn left onto Kargelmayer-Gasse and walk parallel to the Fladnitz stream (on your right). Cross the next bridge to reach the parish church of St. Wolfgang in Furth. Pass under the church and immediately turn left up the hill (St. Wolfgang Trail). You’ll reach the Further Kellergraben, lined with wine taverns, and the path turns right. At the next intersection, turn left and enter the “Lössschlucht” (loess gorge) known as Zellergraben. The loess cliffs are among the most impressive in the entire region and are designated as a natural monument. At the end of the gorge, you’ll reach the Zellerkreuz rest area, and the trail turns right onto Kellerweg, passing through the vineyards of Further and Mautern (Ried Silberbichl). At the end of Kellerweg, turn right and continue to the main road near the Mautern barracks. There, turn left, go through the roundabout, and follow the road to Mautern’s town hall square, where this stage ends.

In the center of Unterbergern or at the Römerhalle in Mautern.

A1 to exit Melk, continue on the B33 to Mautern and then via the country road to Unterbergern

The villages are accessible seven days a week by public transport. Returning to the starting point of the hike is possible.

On weekdays, the regional bus 489 runs between the villages. Arrival to Mautern is possible by bus line 720 (Krems-Rossatz-Melk or Melk-Rossatz-Krems) from the Krems and Melk train stations: www.vor.at

A station of the Nextbike rental bikes is located in Mautern/Römerhalle, www.nextbike.at

To loess path „Zellergraben“ and Göttweigerberg there is an extremelysuccessful conservation brochure: “Natura Trail wine & nature”,www.nfi.at (section Natura Trails). The information folder is a good addition to the hiking tour.