Via Trinitatis 3. Etappe: Opponitz - Waidhofen/Ybbs

Starting point of the tour

Opponitz

Destination point of the tour

Waidhofen/Ybbs

Route description Via Trinitatis 3. Etappe: Opponitz - Waidhofen/Ybbs

This stage of the Pilgrimage Loop Hike is notable for its long stretches of unspoiled nature, which accompany you all the way to the stage’s destination in Waidhofen.

You start at the town limits of Opponitz and, on the opposite side of Federal Highway B 31, take the signposted Trail 58, which leads along the ridge near the “Obermitterkogel” in the “Hochseeberg” region. A few meters after the trailhead, you can turn left toward the “Antonius Chapel,” which impresses with its high elevation. It’s an excellent spot for a morning ritual. Back on Route 58, the climb continues past two farms, offering views of the crystal-clear Ybbs River and the inviting Ybbstal Bike Path. After a challenging climb, you’ll reach the “Eisenwurzenweg 08,” which connects Austria’s northernmost point in the Waldviertel with its southernmost point in the Carinthian Karawanken.

The junction at Obermitterkogel is somewhat unassuming, but once you’re on the trail, you stay on the “08” all the way to “Rabenstadel” and “Holzerbauernkreuz.” In the first section, you’ll still catch a few glimpses of the Ybbstal valley, but the rest of the route winds meditatively through various forest landscapes. After about 2.5 km, you’ll cross a forest road a second time and, after a short stretch through the woods, emerge onto a meadow where a grove of majestic linden trees invites you to pause and reflect.

After crossing another short stretch of meadow, you’ll reach a forest/gravel road that leads directly to the wayside chapel at “Rabenstadel.” There, the view opens up, and on a clear day, you can make out the Sonntagberg in the distance to the left. At the fork in the road, the trail descends across the meadow to the edge of the forest and continues through another section of woods to the “Holzerbauernkreuz.” Here, you cross the intersecting forest roads and stay on the “08er” trail on the south side of the “Glatzberg.” This nearly 2.5-kilometer-long section of the trail is particularly impressive in early spring, with countless snowdrops blooming above and below the path. At other times of the year as well, the mixed forest—depending on the season—features flora and fauna that will delight hikers and pilgrims alike.

You’ll reach farmland again and pass a farmhouse on your way to the “Gasthof am Grasberg.” It’s worth stopping for a break before tackling the final leg of the stage over the Buchenberg. Directly from the access road to the inn, the “Via Lucis” light trail branches off to the right—a path with 14 post-Easter stations and encounters that serves as a counterpart to the Stations of the Cross. Following the “Via Trinitatis” signs, it winds its way directly to the “Obere Buchenbergkapelle” in a few switchbacks.

The “Sonntagberg” greets you with an inviting view and marks the remaining portion of the pilgrimage route. For the descent, take the ridge trail (follow the “Via Trinitatis” signs) to the viewing platform built in 2022/2023, from which Waidhofen and the landscape around the Sonntagberg lie at your feet. The trail continues on the left along the forest road to rejoin the WWW 08. Turning sharply right, you head downhill to the next fork, where you take the left path over the “Hohe Wand” to the entrance area of the “Buchenberg Nature and Wildlife Park.” The trail through the Rösselgraben leads toward Schillerpark and continues over the Schulberg and “Hohen Markt” directly into the downtown area of Waidhofen an der Ybbs. The endpoint is the town tower at the intersection of Freisingerberg and Oberer Stadtplatz.

Here you can choose your route for the next day: the basic “Via Trinitatis” route with Stage 4, or the extended “Via Trinitatis +” route with Stages 4b and 5, which includes an additional fifth day.

A selection of dining and lodging options, as well as information on various sights, can be found in the pilgrim guide. We recommend visiting the parish church dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene and St. Lambert.