Grande Granite Loop: Stage 4
4040 Linz
"Panorama plateau with valley detours"
Recommended season:
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- Multi-stage route
- Scenic
- Refreshment stops available
- Cultural/historical value
- Geological highlights
- Botanical highlights
- Faunistic highlights
From the summit castle village of Waxenberg, the bike flows back into the idyllic meadow valley of the Kleine Rodl. A short forest climb, then you stand on the last ridge of the northern granite region. In wide meanders, the route leads through hidden valleys down to Neußerling. There, the rural panorama plateau begins, intersected by deep forest ravines. Majestic cultural cycling meets - partly tricky - bike fun in the ravines. In St. Martin in the Mühlkreis, a legendary Danube valley view descent to the Danube port town of Untermühl perfectly rounds off the stage.
Highlights:
- Summit castle village Waxenberg (summit castle ruins, 360° panoramic observation tower, castle)
- Pesenbach Valley Nature Reserve (first nature reserve of the Mühlviertel)
- St. Martin in the Mühlkreis (quarry area of the famous Neuhauser granite, granite beer)
- Neuhaus Castle (granite transport – end of the field railway, start of the cable car to the Danube)
- Danube port town Untermühl (loading point for the famous Neuhauser granite)
- Overnight stay: In the Danube port town of Untermühl
From the summit castle village of Waxenberg, the bike flows back into the idyllic meadow valley of the Kleine Rodl. A short forest climb, then you stand on the last ridge of the northern granite region. In wide meanders, the route leads through hidden valleys down to Neußerling. There, the rural panorama plateau begins, intersected by deep forest ravines. Majestic cultural cycling meets - partly tricky - bike fun in the ravines. In St. Martin in the Mühlkreis, a legendary Danube valley view descent to the Danube port town of Untermühl perfectly rounds off the stage.
Waxenberg – majestically lies the summit castle (ruin) on a wooded hill cone above the Kleine Rodl valley and the quaint village in the saddle nearby. The fortress was built during the development of the Mühlviertel primeval forests as a seat of power at the center of the largest clearing estate in the Mühlviertel. Tip: The 360° panoramic observation tower on the castle offers views from the Bohemian Forest to the Alps – a highlight! The bike flows through mixed mountain forest, later rhythmically along winding farm roads through gently rolling Mühlviertel farmland into the meadow valley of the Kleine Rodl. Pure bike happiness! After Loymühle follows a climb (150 meters in altitude), first steeper in the hillside forest, then easier on farm roads. In Buchholz, you reach the last ridge (720 m) of the northern granite region. Congratulations! On the ridge top, short altitude cruising with Alpine views gives a pure feeling of freedom. The descent leads with trail character into a hidden side valley. A short climb and you bike through a concealed hollow in enjoyable meanders down to Neußerling. There, the rural panorama plateau begins, intersected by deep forest ravines. Majestic cultural land cycling with boundless spaciousness meets - partly tricky - bike fun in narrow valleys! The route passes through three smaller ravines, the middle one with short trail character, to the neat high plateau village of Herzogsdorf. Here the plateau shows its best side: dreamy wide view descent with asphalt turns full of bliss at the plateau's edge towards Böckstein! The subsequent detour to the Eschelbach valley thrills with trail fun: short tricky steep descent into the forest valley, "stream" biking along the stream, and a tough climb back onto the plateau. Certainly the most technically demanding section of the entire loop! From the panorama plateau, it goes quickly on quiet side roads into the Pesenbach valley and on the opposite slope after a short altitude cruise downhill to Bimberg. Then one delicacy follows another: pleasure cycling in the valley floor of the Pesenbach valley, a hearty (forest) climb to Gaisberg, majestic wide view cruising between patchwork fields and huge farms, ... The last valley detour leads down into the solitary part of the Pesenbach valley – the Pesenbach valley nature reserve! Surrounded by rustic mixed forest, you bike on historic farm tracks and narrow footpaths along the amber-colored stream uphill. Thoughts of the initial settlement of the long secluded Mühlviertel arise. Over the hidden double-wolf ravine, you leisurely pedal back onto the panorama plateau – to St. Martin in the Mühlkreis. The special significance of the village only opens with the knowledge of its history: quarry area of the famous Neuhauser granite and base on the salt route to Bohemia! Tip: Neuhauser granite (art) can be seen in the parish church – the artistic net rib vault – and the delicious granite beer of the region tells of a long supply tradition. Now the return begins into the deep Danube valley. A fast descent leads into the hidden Dreißenbach ravine, there surprises with a short but tough meadow-forest trail ascent. Then a panoramic ridge impresses with a legendary view into the Danube valley. A highlight! A short pleasure climb and you quickly cross the last ravine to the magnificent (private) Neuhaus castle. Here the Neuhauser granite was once transshipped from the field railway from the granite quarries to the cable car to the Danube. Then you dive again into the rustic gorge forest of the Danube valley and speed down into the Danube port town of Untermühl, the loading port of the Neuhauser granite.
Paths covering:
further information:
- Multi-day tour
- Board possible
Public Transit
How to get to the Danube Region of Upper Austria?
The fast way to your destination – by train, bus, car, ship, or plane.
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
Please get in touch for more information.
Lindengasse 9
4040 Linz
Phone +43 732 7277 - 800
Fax machine +43 732 7277 - 804
E-Mail info@donauregion.at
Web www.donauregion.at
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1. The tours presented for hiking, walking, biking and road biking, mountain biking, motorbiking, horseback riding, climbing, cross-country skiing, and going on skiing and snowshoe tours etc. are to be considered non-paid tour recommendations and only serve as non-binding information. We have no intention of concluding a contract with the users of this website. The utilisation of the data does not lead to the establishment of a contract with us.
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Construction-related measures or other influences (e.g. landslides and similar occurrences) can lead to temporary or permanent changes in a route (e.g. loss of a bridge and similar occurrences). Such occurrences can lead to part of the route or the entire route becoming impassable.
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2.Some of the tours lead over roads with normal traffic conditions. Please observe that there is an increased risk which can be avoided by means of appropriate attention and proper estimation and implementation of one’s own abilities. For this reason, please travel a route that is unfamiliar to you slowly and with special care. Pay constant attention to potential dangers and always observe traffic. Do not leave the routes featured in descriptions.
The potential use of private roads, in particular forestry roads and agricultural transport roads, can be subject to legal restrictions, which must be observed and adhered to.
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3.Each tour requires good physical fitness as well as detailed planning. We explicitly recommend only taking the tours in the case of optimal healthiness.
We recommend that you conclude an accident and liability insurance policy. Use an onboard computer that displays the respective kilometres travelled per day and is calibrated for the front wheel.
4.Special for mountain bikers – Fair-play rules:
Mountain biking is one of the most wonderful outdoor leisure-time activities. Whilst biking or on a mountain biking tour, mountains and lakes, meadows and cabins are re-discovered in new ways. A couple of rules for fair play in the forest help to avoid conflicts whilst mountain biking.
a.Pedestrians have the right of way: We are accommodating and friendly to pedestrians and hikers. Upon encountering these fellow travellers, we alert them by using the bicycle bell and slowly overtake them. We avoid paths with heavy pedestrian traffic altogether. Take nature into account: We do not leave refuse behind.
b.The braking distance should be half of the total distance visible: We ride at a controlled pace, are ready to brake and maintain a braking distance half as long as the total distance visible, especially in curves, because we always have to count on obstacles on the path. Damage to the path, stones, branches, wood piles, grazing livestock, cattle grids, barriers, tractor-type forestry machines and authorised vehicles pose dangers that we need to be ready for.
c.Don’t drink and drive!: Do not drink alcohol when mountain biking. Take care at stop-off points (dealing with bike racks, dirty shoes or clothing).
It is obligatory to provide first aid!
d.Marked routes, closed paths and blockades: Keep to the marked routes, observe the blockades and accept that these roads are primarily for agricultural and forestry use!
Blockades can often not be avoided and are in your own interest. Biking beyond the intended path and outside of opening times is punishable and turns us into illegal bikers.
e.We are guests in the forest and behave accordingly, including vis-à-vis forestry and hunting staff. Whilst mountain biking, mobile telephones and music players are forbidden! Biking requires your full attention.
f.Avoid unnecessary noise. Out of consideration to the animals living in the wild, we only bike during full daylight. As a principle, we always wear our helmet (even when riding uphill)! Don’t forget emergency supplies: We always have a repair set and bandages along.
g.Don’t overestimate your skills: We should not overdo it when it comes to biking technique and physical fitness. Take the level of difficulty posed by the route into consideration and make a precise estimate of your experience and skills as a biker (braking, bell, lights)!
h.Close gates: We approach grazing livestock at a walking pace and close every gate behind us. We should avoid causing escape and panic reactions in the animals. Nothing stands in the way of the fun and athletic challenge in the mountains and forests!
i.Traffic rules: The general traffic rules (StVO) apply for all the mountain biking routes and we adhere to them. Our bike therefore needs to be in perfect technical condition and equipped in line with the traffic rules, including brakes, a bell and lights. We inspect and service our mountain bikes regularly anyway.
5.We assume no liability for the contents of external websites; in particular, we assume no liability for their statements and contents. Moreover, we have no influence on the design or contents of the websites to which hyperlinks on www.muehlviertel.at lead or from which hyperlinks lead to www.muehlviertel.at. There is no on-going review of websites to which hyperlinks on www.muehlviertel.at lead or from which hyperlinks lead to www.muehlviertel.at. We do not appropriate the contents of websites to which hyperlinks on www.muehlviertel.at lead or from which hyperlinks lead to www.muehlviertel.at.
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Altitude profile - Grande Granite Loop: Stage 4
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