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Stage 3 - Spirit: SEVEN ELEMENTS – the Path

Accessible by public transport

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

The tour in numbers

Level of difficulty medium

Route 19,7 km

Time 7:30 h

Uphill 1520 hm

Downhill 480 hm

Highest point 1544 m

From St. Gallen up to the Ennstaler Hut, this stage is dominated by the element of spirit and the process of recognition. The question “What messages do I hear when I pause mindfully in the landscape?” opens our eyes to what we encounter along the way. The Bible quote "Your ears will hear him saying, 'This is the way, walk in it. " (Isaiah 30:21) invites us to be attentive and to follow the subtle signs along the way. The forest, the silence of the alpine pasture, or the sight of the mountains—again and again, these impressions invite us to listen consciously and perceive what moves us inwardly. This project is supported by the Interreg Danube Region Program, co-financed by the European Union.

We set off from St. Gallen and leave the familiar surroundings behind us to immerse ourselves in the soothing silence of the forests. The trail leads up to the Stockingeralm, followed by a longer descent before we hike along the Erbstraße for a while. At Kassegg Castle – a 130-year-old hunting lodge with four hectares of parkland – we take a break before beginning the ascent through the Mühlbachgraben valley via the Bärensattel pass. With every step, the mighty rock faces of the Buchstein group come closer until we reach the Ennstalerhütte, which was built in 1885 and is considered the oldest hut in the Gesäuse.

Best season

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

More information

Coming from Linz, take the A7 to the Linz junction, then the A1 to Enns West, continue on the B309 to Niedergleink, the B122a to Kleinraming, continue on the B115 to Altenmarkt and take the B117 to St. Gallen.

Coming from St. Pölten, take the A1 Westautobahn to the Amstetten exit, then take the B121 to Weyer, continue on the B115 to Altenmarkt and take the B117 to St. Gallen.

Coming from Graz, take the A9 to Traboch, then take the B115 to Altenmarkt and take the B117 to St. Gallen.

Coming from Liezen, take the B146 and B117 to St. Gallen.

Start:
Parish church of St. Gallen
1.8 km Dienerhöhe
5.0 km Stockingeralm
8.5 km Schindelgraben
10.7 km Erbstraße
12.4 km Kassegg Castle
15.1 km Mühlbach
18.8 km Bärensattel
19.7 km Ennstaler Hut

Every year on August 30, a mountain mass is held at the Ennstaler Hut. It is organized by the pastoral care team together with the hut and is often accompanied by local music groups – a special experience in the midst of the mountains.

For more information on train and bus connections, see www.verbundlinie.at and www.oebb.at

With the Verbundlinie BusBahnBim app, timetable information has never been easier to access: all bus, train, and tram connections in Austria can be searched for by entering locations and/or addresses, stops, or important points. The app is available as a free app for smartphones (Android, iOS) – on Google Play and in the App Store.

In the Gesäuse, you can get around in summer even without your own car. Just call +43 3613 2100099: during operating hours, the Gesäuse shared taxi will take you to any destination in the Gesäuse – no timetable or stops required. www.gesaeuse.at/mobil

Several parking spaces in St. Gallen

Gesäuse Tourist Association
Hauptstraße 35, 8911 Admont, Austria
t: +43 3613 211 60 10
info@gesaeuse.at
www.gesaeuse.at

Places to eat and shop in St. Gallen

Gasthof Hensle, Tel.: +43 3632 7171, 8933 St. Gallen, Markt 43, www.hensle.at

Heurigenstube Angerer, Tel.: +43 3632 385, 8933 St. Gallen, Markt 42,

www.heurigenstube.at

Naturhotel Schloss Kassegg, Tel.: +43 3632 204 73, 8933 St. Gallen, Hocherb 18, www.hotel-kassegg.at

Wasser-Erlebnispark im Gesäuse, Tel.: +43 664 5204 426, 8933 St. Gallen, Bodenweg 64, www.wassererlebnispark.at

SPAR Markt, Tel.: +43 3632 206, 8933 St. Gallen 52

UNIMARKT, Tel.: +43 3662 264 82, 8933 St. Gallen, Unterer Markt 186

Ennstalerhütte, Tel.: +43 664 4901 737, 8913 Admont, Gstatterboden 28