After Maria Laach, the World Heritage Trail returns to the Danube valley of the Wachau and you leave the Jauerling Nature Park. The town centre and the late Gothic Maria Laach church, which has a long tradition as a Marian pilgrimage church, are unfortunately the only real highlights of this stage. It is more of an easy transitional stage that should be added to another stage. It does not offer exciting paths, views or nature. On the other hand, it is hardly demanding.
Christmas tree plantations#
From Maria Laach, the route leads through Christmas tree plantations until you reach the only village on the route, the small farm settlement of Litzendorf. There you can choose whether to follow the route of the World Heritage Trail or the Jauerling circuit. If you don’t need a stamp for the World Heritage Trail hiking pin, it is more scenic to take the Jauerling circuit route.
My mood was perhaps somewhat dampened by the gathering clouds, which obscured the sun, but the parallel path is simply much more varied - a narrow, leaf-covered hollow way instead of a wide forest road.
As planned, I stay on the World Heritage Trail but immediately overlook the next turn-off through the forest. The monotonous walk through the plantations lets my mind wander. I only notice it after about 1/2 km. I get my stamp at Schleinkhof. After that, the path gets wet and damp. But I soon come across the wide, dry forest road that leads down to Aggsbach in a series of hairpin bends. Easy to walk. The forest also looks bare after a lot of logging has taken place here in recent years.
Aggsbach Markt#
I catch sight of a crucifixion scene in an area where cut trees are stored for transportation. There is also a lookout point with benches. Unfortunately, the view is not so marvellous. The Aggstein ruin is nowhere to be seen. You can only look down into the Danube valley to Aggsbach Markt and Aggsbach Dorf opposite of it. I arrive in Aggsbach Markt after about 15 minutes of running without much difficulty. My little excursion is over.
