Action-packed day hike from Mönichkirchen to Kirchberg am Wechsel

Safe on the mountain

Your hikes in the Wiener Alpen should be an all-around beautiful and safe experience. Therefore, please observe the following:

Preparation

Make sure when choosing the route that it matches your mountain experience and fitness. Check the weather report in advance. The weather in the mountains can change surprisingly quickly. Therefore, always start appropriately equipped (e.g., rain protection).

Check if the huts and snack stations you want to visit on your way are open. Inform someone about your route choice and your planned return before setting off.

Always take suitable maps with you. Wear sturdy shoes adapted to the route, take sun and rain protection, as well as water and a small snack. Take your mobile phone with you and save the mountain rescue emergency number: 140

Directly in front of the hiking hotel Alpenhotel Enzian on the Mönichkirchner Schwaig there is a distinctive larch tree with signposts, information boards, and marking colors. From this junction, we go to the mountain station of the Mönichkirchner ski swing and to the starting point of the scooter ride. Here we turn sharply left towards Mariensee and hike along a green-marked hiking path past the mountain rescue hut. A few minutes later we keep right at a water ditch and soon reach a forest road. We turn left here and follow the forest road on the hiking trail to Mariensee. The poisonous foxglove blooms especially intensively here at the roadside in all possible color combinations.

In front of the Putz farmstead, we bypass a willow gate, walk under the crossing chairlift, and after passing through another willow area, we are back in the forest. Shortly afterwards, a meadow path leads us to a scenic gravel road. A few minutes past a farmstead, a narrow path branches off to the right into the forest at a right curve of the gravel road. We follow this green-marked trail for about ten minutes. At a crossroads on the forest edge, a path leads straight into the forest, but we continue right on the rocky cart track and reach the Stauderbauer farmstead. On the access road, we hike downhill, cross the Große Pestingbach, and arrive at the main road in Mariensee.

We turn left and after a few meters go right to the small church. In front of the church, we continue left along the street, cross a wooden footbridge, and walk along a meadow path past a playground back to the main road. We follow this now for a few minutes, gently ascending to a street intersection in front of a bus stop and bridge. We turn right onto the Prenner goods road towards Kampstein. Passing house numbers 60 and 61, we go straight at the first bend of the forest road. Shortly after, however, we take the left bend of the forest road and follow the green-marked hiking trail uphill.

At the Leitenbauer farm, we walk past on the right to the asphalt road, which we leave after a few meters to the right onto a pasture. Right at the beginning of the pasture, we go right up, cross a cart track, and leave the pasture through a passage. We cross the meadow in front of us slightly to the left, looking past the tree island on the right to the street. Here we turn left and after a few meters leave the street again to the right onto a meadow path. We then have to climb over two pasture fences. We walk past three crosses, steadily ascending in the forest to a forest road near a transformer station. On the green-marked hiking trail, we steadily ascend through dense forest, cross several forest roads and soon reach the Kampsteiner Schwaig. Unfortunately, the dining opportunity at the highest point of this route is currently closed. In front of the building, we continue on open ground to the right on a cart track towards St. Corona. The well-signposted forest road leads us past the starting stone to the Almrausch hut.

We walk past the hut, pass the Markus rescue hut, and descend the former ski slope to Hannesenteich pond. We continue down the Ant path to the Gasthof-Pension Orthof (closed Wednesdays). Here it is worth letting your gaze wander, Schneeberg and Hohe Wand greet. We walk past the parking lot and reach the mountain station of the summer toboggan run. A ride during the hike is no problem. Once you have reached the bottom, the sled is pulled back up to the mountain station. Continuing on foot, we hike down the marked trail to Ödenhof and St. Corona, always close to the summer toboggan run. Arriving at the church in St. Corona, we turn right and leave the main road after an information island on the left towards Kirchberg.

The section between St. Corona and the Wieden farmstead is closed from July 2021 until further notice.

We stroll past the cemetery and before entering the forest, we continue right on the blue-marked meadow path downhill. At the lower end of the meadow, we enter the forest again and follow the hiking trail. We walk past the Wieden farmstead and a chapel. After a left turn with a view of Kirchberg, a path branches off to the right downwards after the row of trees. About ten minutes later, we arrive at the Sachsenbrunn high school and walk down on the sidewalk next to the street to the Wanderhotel Molzbachhof. Passing this and the adjoining chapel, we leave the parking spaces on the right and shortly afterwards turn right into the Molzbachhof welcome garden. After 15 minutes, we turn left at house number 78 towards Kirchberg. Before the bridge over the Feistritzbach, we turn left onto the pedestrian and bike path. We stroll through the beer garden of the Wanderbetrieb Gasthof-Pension St. Wolfgang (closed Wednesday afternoons) and always walk on the orographically right side of the Feistritzbach. After a few street crossings, we reach the main road to St. Corona after a parking lot, where we turn right to reach the center and bus stop of the hiking village Kirchberg.

There are numerous parking options at the valley station of the Mönichkirchen cable car.

Coming from Vienna on the A2, take the Edlitz exit onto the Wechsel federal road and follow the signs to Mönichkirchen.

Coming from Graz on the A2, take the Pinggau exit towards Friedberg and follow the signs to Mönichkirchen.

Take the train to Aspang-Markt. From here, the regional bus 371 goes to Mönichkirchen.

From Kirchberg am Wechsel, the regional bus 367 goes to Gloggnitz or regional bus 370 to Edlitz-Grimmenstein. From there you can continue by train.

More information can be found at: www.vor.at

Arrive already the day before in Mönichkirchen by public transport or by car. Direct arrival at the Mönichkirchner Schwaig is not possible. The walk from Mönichkirchen to the Schwaig via the Wiener Alpenbogen trail takes about 45 minutes. Alternatively, you can comfortably use the ski swing (operational daily in summer with good weather, spring and autumn only on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays). From Kampsteiner Schwaig, the Kampstein summit is quickly and easily reached in less than 20 minutes and is worthwhile for summit collectors. You can deposit your hiking backpack at the top station of the summer toboggan run; after a rapid ride downhill, the sled is automatically pulled back up (operational daily in summer, spring and autumn on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays).