On a sunny day with a lively, brisk wind, I try my feet at this hiking route. I’m currently training for a marathon, so I’m running a lot and for a long time. And this route is perfect for adding some mileage to my Saturday long run.
Old town of Ybbs#
Early in the morning, I’m standing on Ybbs’ main square in front of the town hall, where this tour begins. A sign reads tram stop, but the tracks are missing. This is because the tram no longer exists. From 1907 until 1953, two electrified carriages ran between the town hall and the railway station over a distance of just 3 km, the second-shortest tram line in Austria.
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/>Ybbs is certainly not a large city, but it is nevertheless an exciting testimony to medieval city construction. There are hardly any remains of the city walls, but the moat, which still borders the old town centre in a semicircle, is still there. Narrow cobbled alleys lead to the medieval palaces, the princely castle and the parish church of St Lawrence. Under the Passauer Kasten, one of these old palaces, a Roman Limes watchtower is suspected to be located, a hint for the long settlement history.
Danube riverfront#
From the main square, I walk clumsily down to the Danube on cobblestones. The Danube is bright blue today. At the end of the old town, I pass through a gate. Unlike its medieval counterparts, it is not intended to ward off attackers, but to protect the city from the Danube’s floodwaters.
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/>However, the following monument of a Kaplan turbine also bears witness to the utilization of the gentle, moderate current of the Danube to generate an electric current, so electricity. A few kilometres upstream, I can see the high dam wall of the Ybbs-Persenbeug Danube power station hovering over the water and closing off the Strudengau Danube valley.
Therapy centre Ybbs#
The route continues through the Ybbs Therapy Centre and thus climbs a few metres for the first time. The psychiatric hospital is made up of two buildings: a former monastery and a barracks. The cross on the wall of the building still gives an indication of the building’s original purpose. Cistercian nuns and finally Franciscan nuns tried to establish a religious order. Finally, in the 19th century, the convent and the barracks opposite, built in the 18th century, were bought by the City of Vienna, which has run the ensemble as a hospital ever since.
Marienhöhe#
After the therapy centre, I leave the city. A steep, short path leads me out and up to Scharlreith, a small hamlet above Ybbs. A wonderful panoramic view of the Danube, the power station and Ybbs spreads out before me. The Ötscher can also be seen from this plateau. This time, however, it is obscured by clouds of mist.
And who is enjoying the warm sun in the pasture here? A couple of fluffy alpacas. They look at me intently in their cosy woollen jumpers. But I move on to a small forest. On Marienhöhe, the name of the woodland, I find a circle of trees and a swing. Unfortunately, the view is not that great. The trees obscure it. But the path is exciting to walk. Uphill and downhill.
From Marienhöhe, the route then goes slightly downhill again and horses and ponies greet me at the next farm. I then circumvent a large field. At the end of this loop, I find a few more horses and goats. From here I leave the field paths and on roads, the route leads me back to Ybbs via Theinstetten.
On Kirl#
But before I reach the old town centre, I pass the frozen Kirl pond. Next to it is a large memorial to the Battle of Leipzig, which was built in 1913, 100 years after the battle - a rather unusual place for such a monument, because as far as I know, Ybbs is hardly associated with the Napoleonic Wars. The monument has also seen better days and is in poor condition.
From Kirl, I hop down a few more stairs and immediately find myself back in front of the therapy centre. From there, it’s not far to the old town any more.
The hike is certainly a fun adventure for kids, as you get to visit a number of animals. In summer there are also a few cows grazing, but they are now in warm stables. I didn’t encounter any difficulties on this hike. Only the short ascent and descent to the high plateau above Ybbs requires some fitness and skill.