I recently discovered a new long-distance hiking trail that is almost right on my doorstep: the Lebensweg in the southern Waldviertel. It was formed by merging the two long-distance hiking trails Ysper-Weitental Rundwanderweg and Kremstalweg, and thus reaches an impressive length of around 260 kilometres, which is divided into 13 stages.
The stage names are based on stages of life: Conception, birth, death, … For the start, I chose the penultimate stage with the somewhat gloomy name: Death and Afterlife. The stage finish is fittingly the Marian pilgrimage site of Maria Taferl, in whose famous basilica you can then pray for the dead and life after death.
Leiben#
This stage is also the shortest on the Lebensweg and I thought it would be a good start after recovering from a cold to slowly get more movement back into everyday life. So I set off for Leiben, the starting point of this stage.
I set off in the afternoon in bright sunshine. First, the road in the village leads down to Leiben Castle, but turns off to the right just before the castle. I don’t take a detour because I started a little too late this time and want to reach Maria Taferl before sunset.
On road and then later a dirt track, I walk up a slight ascent to Henzing. I get a wonderful view from this hill, especially on such a clear day. The Melk Danube power station and its reservoir are at the foot of the hill and if you look closely, you can also see Melk Abbey. I’m not the only one taking advantage of today’s beautiful afternoon. A few walkers also climb up this small hill. There is also a viewing platform, but I don’t visit it.
Then it’s back to Leiben. If you want to, you could shorten the stage here by quite a bit, but the panorama at Henzing is definitely worth the detour. From Leiben, I continue along the road to Losau. There you turn off again onto a dirt trail, where you can enjoy a great view of the Alps on a fine day. You can also have a rest to enjoy the view on a cute, heart-shaped bench. Ideal for a romantic walk. However, the heart not only represents love, but also symbolizes the Lebensweg.
It had rained repeatedly the days before, so the short section between Losau and Artstetten turned out to be a muddy affair. I cross a small spring with minor difficulties. A jump from stone to stone, I almost got wet.
Artstetten Palace#
Then down to Artstetten, the palace in view. Artstetten Palace, with its high onion domes, is the final resting place of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The very archduke who was shot in Sarajevo in 1914 and whose murder triggered the First World War. A small museum is also dedicated to him in the palace. His descendants still live there.
The hiking trail leads through Artstetten and past the palace garden until you reach a forest again. It goes slightly uphill. I cross a small stream again. This time without any problems. I’m already practised at this. The forest ends after a slight downhill section in Untertalheim, the last small village before Maria Taferl. From there, I walk along a dirt track towards the basilica against the low sun.
Sunset at the basilica#
It’s getting really late and as the sun sets it’s noticeably colder. The wind is also picking up, and I’m a little cold, soaked with sweat. But it’s not far now. The back of the basilica can already be seen on the hill. Just the steep climb up to Maria Taferl past the golf course.
Done. For the first longer run of the year, it was more strenuous than expected. From the balcony in front of the basilica, I enjoy the sun setting in the west, faintly illuminating the Alpine foothills. The horizon is getting redder and redder and the first wafts of mist are already forming in the Danube valley. It’s getting colder. While standing still, I feel even colder. Finally, I say goodbye to the sun and Maria Taferl.