My journey through landscape, culture and encounters

I have completed all stages of the Wilheringer Pilgrimage Trail.

My personal impressions of the route and landscape along the Wilheringer Pilgrimage Trail:
I was very impressed by the diversity of the unspoilt landscapes along the entire route, the imposing Danube riverbed, the magnificent views down into the Danube valley and later over hills and valleys to the Alpine foothills. I was also impressed by the many cultural sites such as chapels, wayside shrines, churches, monuments, memorials and newer attractions such as the bee experience trail in Zwettl and a gingerbread bakery, the Jahreszeitenstiege (seasonal staircase) in Gramastetten, museums, old and new craft businesses to visit such as the linen dyeing workshop in Bad Leonfelden, and even the night watchman there.
The first stage requires a certain level of fitness, climbing from Puchenau up to Eidenberg. After that, the route continues uphill and downhill, but at a more leisurely pace. Well-kept villages and towns line the pilgrimage route, and I found the hospitality very welcome, especially on a rainy day.
The long plain stretching from Rading on the border between Austria and Czechia, with the Schwedenschanze as a cultural memorial, to Hohenfurth / Vyssi Brod, struck me as very meditative as I walked along, inviting reflection and relaxation. The extensive monastery complex of Hohenfurth / Vyssi Brod and the subsequent Abtweg path to the church ‘Maria Rast am Stein’ through a wild-looking gorge are reminders of the long religious history of this area.
Stimulating cultivated land, with fertile fields, many forests with ancient trees, farms, some still built of stone, houses with lovingly tended gardens accompanied me and filled me with wonder.

A personal experience I would like to share:
As I was walking along the Wilheringer Pilgrim's Way, I was carrying around a decision that I wanted to make. Impressed by the landscape of the Mühlviertel region, uphill and downhill, the thickets of the forests, the open meadows with views, sometimes monotonous green, then enchanting colourfulness, I ploughed through my concerns, digested some things, let go of some ideas and discovered new possibilities. The initial ‘either/or’ became ‘both/and’.

Encounters I report on:
On my way, I stopped at a particularly species-rich, well-tended cottage garden and let my eyes wander over the magnificent colours of the many flowers – when the ‘old farmer's wife’, as she explained to me (94 years old), who tended it, appeared. She told me about the past, her childhood and youth, the reconstruction after the last world war and the occupation. She beamed as she described what it was like when they got their first washing machine on the farm. The woman seemed very grateful and content that everything had finally turned out well. As she spoke and I looked at her hands, marked by hard work, I was overcome with an indescribable feeling of gratitude for the luxury I enjoy today in peace, freedom and self-determination. As we said goodbye, she offered me a schnapps, which she also took a hearty sip of with a wink.

Tips I would like to share:
Take enough provisions with you, as there are not always shops along the way.
Book accommodation in advance, especially if you are travelling with several people.
Special tip: Let the landscape and culture along the Wilheringer Pilgrimage Trail inspire you – it has a powerful effect!

Christine D.