Upper Austria Mariazell route: D: 6th stage: Lackenhof - Mitterbach

The penultimate stage of the Mariazell Pilgrimage Trail starts in the village of Lackenhof, home to three hundred people, below the highest mountain in the Mostviertel region, the Ötscher (1893m). From the listed church built on a hill, we hike in a south-easterly direction along the signposted Mariazeller Weg, which immediately leads us quite steeply up the slopes of the Ötscher. The name Ötscher was probably given due to its distinctive shape and comes from the Slavic language, meaning "father mountain". The 170 km² Ötscher-Tormäuer Nature Park, the largest nature park in Lower Austria, was created around the mountain in 1970. After an ascent of almost 500 meters, we reach the Riffelsattel and hike downhill from there towards Ötschergräben. Shortly after the former Spielbichler inn, pilgrims are treated to a wonderful panorama of the Ötscher summit to the north and the foothills of the Ötschergräben to the south. Beautiful hiking trails take us to the Schleierfall, where the wonderful gorge hike through the Ötschergräben has its starting point. The landscape in the Ötschergräben is reminiscent of a Winnetou film - steep rock faces border the gorge on both sides, turquoise water makes its way through the limestone. We only leave the Ötschergräben again at the "Ötscherhias" inn and continue our hike in the direction of the Erlauf reservoir. Once again uphill, we pass a mill, make a short stop at a wooden chapel and arrive at the long Erlauf reservoir. A beautifully laid out nature trail leads us to Mitterbach, the end point of this tour.