Discover Garsten: Abbey, Trails and Dambachtal Valley

Garsten combines an impressive abbey history with diverse trails, forested landscapes and specific excursion destinations. Anyone planning a trip with culture, nature and outdoor activities will find a range of options here: from the historic Abbey Museum and signposted hiking trails to longer tours through Dambachtal Valley. This combination can also help you choose a suitable holiday apartment or holiday house, as you can select your accommodation based on which experiences are the focus of your trip.

Garsten Abbey and Baroque Culture

The history of what later became Garsten Benedictine Abbey goes back to a collegiate monastery established around 1082 by Otakar I of Steyr. In 1108, Otakar II converted the collegiate monastery into a Benedictine monastery. Garsten Abbey was dissolved in 1787. This historical development can be traced in the Abbey Museum: it presents the history and influence of the abbey from its foundation in 1082 until its dissolution in 1787.

A particular focus is placed on furnishings and art history. The interior of Garsten Abbey Church represents a high point of Baroque stucco work in Austria. The Abbey Museum also contains notable examples of nativity art. These include the Baroque boxwood nativity scene by Marian Rittinger from 1705 and the large Nagelschmied nativity scene by Josef Garb from around 1850. This gives you a clear choice for your stay: you can focus your trip more strongly on cultural history or combine the history of the abbey with excursions into the surrounding landscape.

Dambachtal Valley, Forest and Trails

Southeast of Garsten lies the approximately 5.5 km-long Dambachtal Valley. It is nestled in a horseshoe shape between Damberg at 807 m, Schwarzberg at 838 m, Blabergkogel at 748 m, Sonnberg at 777 m, Sturzberg at 741 m and Buchberg at 542 m. At the head of the valley is a forested area of approximately 1,000 hectares that has been used for forestry since time immemorial. The approximate figures should be understood as a guide for travel planning, while the mountains mentioned give the valley its characteristic spatial enclosure.

The signposted hiking trails starting from the centre of Garsten begin in Beserlpark near the railway viaduct at Lahrndorferstraße/Klosterstraße. There you will find a hiking map showing all trails, elevation profiles and trail descriptions. The “Biodiversity Circular Trail” passes through species-rich habitats along the Garsten stream and the flowering meadows around Fischeraufstieg. Interactive information boards provide information about kestrels, stream inhabitants, bees, butterflies and herbs. This means that an excursion can be planned not only around the route, but also around the observations and topics along the way.

Tours and Excursion Destinations for Different Days

For longer-term planning, the “L5 Garsten – Großes Hufeisen” circular route is a good option. It is 28.4 km long and has 872 metres of elevation gain. The tour starts at Garsten railway station, initially leads through the town, past the outdoor pool and over the power station. Take the route length and elevation gain into account when planning your day. Another option is the Boigerrunde: it follows the Enns into Buchholz, where the traditional Boigerstadl inn is located.

Shorter or differently structured activities can also be planned. The “Enns Mile” passes the power park and is illuminated throughout. A miniature golf course and the Aufwind Activity Park can be accessed from Garsten outdoor pool. If you are travelling with children or with people who have different interests, you can consider these destinations as a separate excursion alongside the abbey’s history and the landscape trails, without limiting your stay to just one activity.

Garsten as a Starting Point for Your Accommodation Search

When looking for a holiday apartment in Garsten or a holiday house in the surrounding area, it is worth first deciding on your preferred travel rhythm. Those interested in culture can make the Abbey Museum, the history of the abbey and Baroque stucco work the focus of their trip. For nature-oriented days, Dambachtal Valley, the Biodiversity Circular Trail and the signposted trails are good options. Anyone planning a longer tour can include the details of the L5 Garsten – Großes Hufeisen route in their daily schedule. This connects the choice of accommodation with your actual excursion plans rather than being based solely on a general place name.

If you would like to include additional places in your travel planning, you can find further destinations here: Aschach An Der Steyr, Rohr Im Kremstal, Dietach, Pfarrkirchen Bei Bad Hall, Adlwang, Grossraming, Reichraming and Gaflenz.

For the higher-level travel overview: Steyr-Land.