Other pilgrimage routes in the heart of the Mühlviertel

Every breath you take on the Johannesweg is pure relaxation. Step by step, your zest for life grows, your thoughts become clearer and new perspectives open up. Twelve stations provide inspiration and invite you to pause for a moment. The spiritual circular hiking trail offers breathtaking views, five summit crosses with magnificent panoramas and numerous places of power. Castle ruins, cultural highlights and the warm hospitality of the Mühlviertel make each stage an unforgettable journey full of inspiration, inner peace and new impressions.

On the Path of deceleration every step can give you new strength. Gentle forests, rushing streams and mighty granite formations invite you to pause and take a deep breath. The clear, invigorating forest air of the Bohemian Forest refreshes body and mind. Seven summit crosses and 22 places of power are ideal locations to recharge your batteries, while breathtaking views make every stage unforgettable. There is no need for tedious booking – the complete hiking package can be conveniently arranged through the Mühlviertel Tourist Board.

The Stoakraftweg leads through the nature park communities of Bad Zell, Rechberg, St. Thomas am Blasenstein and Allerheiligen im Mühlkreis, past species-rich rough pastures, idyllic river and stream valleys, and impressive 350-million-year-old rocking stones and boulder castles. Along the way, fascinating viewpoints open up again and again. Those eager to explore can also discover numerous wayside shrines, chapels, churches and holy springs along the route. The gentle ups and downs of the trail allow you to gradually increase your sense of well-being and learn about the unique flora and fauna.

The Power Source Tree Trail, approximately 65 km long, is dedicated to tree medicine: 31 information boards provide details about the healing powers, mythology and effects of trees. Follow the oak leaf – a symbol of strength and endurance – along well-marked paths. Five rest areas and five ‘places of perception’ invite you to pause and reflect. Sights such as the Maria Rast forest chapel and the Waxenberg castle ruins enrich the trail. A short detour to Czechia offers exciting insights into the region's shared past.

The Granite Pilgrimage Trail stretches for around 95 kilometres and leads through the south-eastern district of Rohrbach in three to four stages. It connects ten communities between St. Martin and Helfenberg. The varied landscape with the rivers Große Mühl and Steinernen Mühl, the Pesenbach stream, the rolling hills and the granite and gneiss highlands offers impressive nature experiences. The starting point is at the Granite Pilgrimage Monument in St. Martin i. M. Every step along the way brings peace, reflection and new strength.

The Bohemian Forest Way of St. James is a 142 km route in seven stages from the UNESCO town of Český Krumlov to the three-river city of Passau through the border triangle of Czechia, Austria and Germany. A longer section runs through the idyllic Upper Mühlviertel. The route is marked with the scallop shell. Hikers can expect to encounter the Šumava National Park,

the clear forest air of the Bohemian Forest, rushing streams, Schlägl Abbey and numerous pilgrimage churches – a perfect blend of nature, culture and spirituality.