The second section of my Jauerling crossing starts in Maria Laach. The sun is high in the early afternoon and heats up the surroundings. I can hardly wait to finally dive back into the cool shade of the woods. But first I cool off with cold water from the village fountain. One more dip of my cap in the cool water and then I’m off.
Friedersdorf#
The route first leads out of the village and then along a country lane through a Christmas tree plantation to Friedersdorf. The fir trees are sprouting joyfully, but the young trees offer me no shade. They rarely grow tall since they are cut early for Christmas. Via Friedersdorf, the path then leads directly to Loitzendorf, where the corresponding stamp is also located at the entrance to the local inn. At the entrance to Loitzendorf, I am greeted by two magpies flying playfully through a small orchard.
Loitzendorf#
After crossing the Loitzendorf stream, I finally reach the forest and can recover from the sun in the shade. I also have the first short climb ahead of me. Until then, it was always slightly downhill. The path is not used as often and is not as well maintained as the stages of the World Heritage Trail. Tall grass overgrows the small forest road.
Felbring#
Next, I am already in Felbring. After Felbring, I cross the seventh stage of the World Heritage Trail. I’ve already walked this route, but in the opposite direction. The two paths overlap for a few kilometres. At the former Pension Waldruhe, the path drops down to the Grimsingbach stream. Down by the stream, fallen trees continue to make the crossing difficult. They have not yet been cleared up.
Zintring#
I then head up the gorge via bends to Zintring, the only longer climb on this stage. Here I have problems finding the route for the first time. The tree markings follow an unmapped path, but the official route chooses the only mapped path to Zintring. In the end, however, both lead to Zintring and I remember that I only recently walked down the locally marked path.
I’m lost#
After Zintring, I encounter my second orientation problem. The tree markings are at odds here. The old hiking trail leads through a thicket of young beech and ash trees, and the official GPS route also favours this path, but it would be a pain to fight my way through the young trees. So I follow the other tree markings. The forest road is very overgrown with grass, so I’m not sure whether this is the right one. A slight route change in Zintring could have solved this problem.
After returning to the official GPS route, I have to take another small trail and cross a meadow with tall grass. This time, however, the route and tree markings match. Not many hikers pass this path. Only a few shoe prints and crushed grass remind me of them. After these orientation difficulties, the trail descends slightly on a forest road to Grimsing. I am now making good progress.
Grimsing and Gossam#
From Grimsing via Gossam, a country road leads to Emmersdorf, the destination of this stage. On this slightly elevated plain above the Danube, I can admire Schönbühel Castle and Melk Abbey on the other side of the Danube. I’m already longing for my destination, as the heat and sun make running on the road unpleasant. My feet are already pretty tired from all the downhill walking. I reach Hochamt, pass the church and the cemetery, down the stairs and I am finally in Emmersdorf.
Personally, I would prefer a slight change of the route. Instead of taking the arduous path to Zintring and then down through the forest to Grimsing, where I had my orientation problems, I would instead follow the route of the World Heritage Trail from Felbring to Emmersdorf. This path is better preserved. You can also visit the Ruinenkirche Gossam and have the choice of either walking via the Briefträgersteig to Mödelsdorf or directly to Gossam. However, this alternative shortens the stage by around 4 km to around 10 km, so it would be rather short.