Sternstein - circular hike from Bad Leonfelden

From the main square in Bad Leonfelden, walk between the church and town hall to the roundabout and follow the B38 for approx. 100 m in the direction of Rohrbach, Vorderweißenbach, here turn right onto the Poststeig and walk slightly uphill to the north, at the last houses follow the markings slightly to the left. After crossing the road in Unterlaimbach, continue uphill to the road from Bad Leonfelden to the Waldschenke. Shortly before the road, follow the path to the left, which then joins the road, leave it again and follow the forest path to the right after the Sternstein forest garden.

The houses of Oberstern can be seen on the left in the sparse forest, flat through the forest northwards past a wayside shrine. A few hundred metres further on you reach a signpost "Waldschenke Sternstein" (on a tree on the right), follow this path westwards to a meadow near the Waldschenke.

From the Waldschenke, the path leads northwards up to the Sternstein. The Sternsteinwarte can already be recognised in the upper flat part. On the left (approx. 100 metres) is the source of the Waldschenke's refreshing water. Shortly afterwards, you first reach the top station of the ski lift with a view of the downhill pistes. From here, a short path leads up the last section to the summit of the Sternstein with the Sternsteinwarte (1,122 m).

Those who make the effort to climb the steps to the top of the tower (closed from November to March) are treated to a magical panoramic view of the Mühlviertel hills; on a clear day, the view extends from the Schneeberg to the Dachstein and the Watzmann, as well as the Vltava reservoir and the Temelin cooling towers.

The descent now begins on a moderately steep path towards Rading. Always following the markings "Rading, Schwedenschanze, Sterngartl-Rundweg", you cross a forest road that runs through the forest from the lift car park. At a signpost of the same name, it is worth taking a short detour to the "Pilzstein". This unconventional stone shape like a man's mushroom is a freak of nature and has been a natural monument since 1980.

The path continues eastwards via Silberhartschlag to Dürnauer Straße, between the chapel and the fire station you continue across the fields to Weigetschlag. After a short stretch, you leave the B 126 and walk down to Rading to the Schanzstüberl snack station, also known as the "Bürgermeister".

From here, the road leads north-east down to the national border (800 m), just before the border crossing is the "Schwedenschanze". A memorial stone and a wooden cannon replica still remind us of the difficult times of the Thirty Years' War. The redoubt was built to protect against the invasion of the Swedish army from the north and forms a barrier in the forest-free gap between Sternstein and the Miesenwald forest over a length of 200 metres.

Behind the inn, you walk south-westwards on well-marked paths for approx. 4.5 km back to Bad Leonfelden. You first pass a game reserve and then reach a granite stone on a hilltop, which marks a prominent point on the main European watershed between the Atlantic Ocean and the Black Sea. The course of the rivers makes it easy to recognise: The Granitzbach flows northwards, the Rodlbach southwards.

Downhill to Appenau in a hollow, you cross the Große Rodl, then the trail leads uphill again past the Hotel Falkensteiner and back to Bad Leonfelden via the main road.

Apart from a few stretches where you have to push your bike, this route is also suitable for MTBs.