Rohrbach-Berg Chapel and Monastery Trail

Our ancestors often erected chapels and wayside shrines in fulfilment of a vow they had made when danger threatened.

0 km  The starting point is at the Rohrbach-Berg parish church. We cross the church square and follow the Berggasse up to the Grimshof, the former Meierhof of Berg Castle. Above this courtyard was once the castle of the Counts of Rödern, as the castle walls and the castle gate remind us.
At Mitterweg, we turn right and after approx. 30 metres left onto Bergweg. Soon afterwards, at the Holzstadl, continue left uphill across the meadow. Pass the Schenkkapelle chapel, the Kriegnerkapelle chapel and the "Schickanus" chapel at the top.
You walk uphill along the edge of the forest over the exposed, historic stone steps (presumably, like the Schikanus, from 1730) and soon reach the road that leads up to the Maria Trost pilgrimage church. Before we reach the pilgrimage church at the top of the mountain, we turn left briefly to the Lourdes Chapel with the Devil's Stone.
The road leads steeply upwards. On the right, we see the statue of St John Nepomuk on a beautifully crafted stone plinth. Next to the Benefiziatenstöckl is a statue of St Nicholas under a mighty deciduous tree.
 
940 m  At the summit, we can already see the Maria Trost pilgrimage church. It has been a popular attraction for pilgrims, day trippers and contemplative hikers since its inception. On the northern side of the pilgrimage church, a few steps lead up to the Maria Hilfkapelle chapel. Continue to the Maria Schneekapelle chapel, which is located next to the path that leads along the steep eastern slope below the church. This old pilgrims' path leads us to the Holy Sepulchre.
The Kreuzwegsteig joins the wider path that comes directly from the pilgrimage church. We turn left to the edge of the forest. When we leave the forest, we stand in front of the plague column on the mountain. We walk left ...

1.6 km downhill past the Mosthütte, a snack bar with a garden. Keep left along the garden and after approx. 100 metres you will reach the edge of the forest, just before the Geretschlägerkapelle chapel. In the forest we turn right. Past the Warthkapelle chapel. Continue along the beautiful forest path to the point where a path on the left leads down to the Buchet Chapel (built in 1675). Below the Buchet Chapel, the path joins a wider forest path. Follow this to the right and continue downhill to the "Hofer" house. We have now left the forest and follow the tarmac road to the left until we reach the junction with the old road to Haslach. We turn left, cross the tracks of the Mühlkreisbahn railway and reach the cross at the level crossing.
A path takes us to the point at the fish ponds, where it continues upstream to the left in the shady forest. Follow the red-white-red tree markings to get out of the forest and turn left onto the tarmac road.
After about 100 m, leave the road again and turn left uphill towards the forest, cross the tracks of the Mühlkreisbahn railway and come to the fitness boards. The path leads straight ahead to the Mosthütte. However, we take the forest path on the right (don't overlook the junction).
Once we reach the forest road, we come across the Panoramaweg and the Kirsteig. Continue right through the forest. At the end of the forest, the path turns into an asphalt road. Shortly afterwards, we cross the railway track again. (A shortcut is possible: before crossing, turn left along the goods track, steeply uphill over the Pfaffenberg to the town square).
We continue the hike along the slope on a beautiful field path. Before the field path enters the forest, we walk steeply uphill to the left at the edge of the forest. (This is also where the Kirsteig trail leaves us, which leads to Fürling and on to Kollonödt, where there is a connecting path to Aigen-Schlägl). We cross the railway track again and reach the ridge. There are marvellous views here. We walk ...

8.2 km to the left along the ridge and past the Liberation Cross (erected in memory of the withdrawal of the Russian occupying soldiers in 1955). Shortly afterwards we come to a striking spot, the ...

9.0 km plague column on the Pfaffenberg. Now we return to the starting point via Berggasse on the right. 

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