Lauterbach: Hiking at Dunkelstein and Bildbuchenkapelle

You can plan a trip to Lauterbach around three specific themes: the hiking route to Dunkelstein, the signposted hiking trail No. 653, and the pilgrimage chapel Bildbuchenkapelle, also known as Maria-Bild-Buchen. If you are looking for a hotel in Lauterbach and would like to combine your stay with hiking, these details offer guidance on the route, the views, and the area’s cultural history. This lets you decide in advance whether a specific distance, the view from the summit, or the history of a chapel is most important to your plans.

Hiking and trails around Lauterbach

The hiking route from Lauterbach to Dunkelstein is approximately 2 km long. This approximate distance is a useful first point of reference when planning a hike during your stay. On the return leg of the Maria Bildbuche–Dunkelstein route, the red-white-red-marked hiking trail No. 653 leads back to Lauterbach.

On the road to Lottersberg, hiking trail No. 653, marked red-white-red, branches off to the left into the forest just outside Lauterbach; some sections follow narrow forest paths. The return leg of the Maria Bildbuche–Dunkelstein route also follows the red-white-red-marked hiking trail No. 653 back to Lauterbach, while the turnoff into the forest is just outside the village. Check the trail markings on site if you are using these route details for guidance.

Dunkelstein: elevation and views

At 625 m, Dunkelstein is the highest point in the southern Dunkelsteinerwald. From the summit, views extend as far as Maria Langegg and the Alps. Along with the approximately 2 km route, this gives you two more points of reference for the hike: the summit’s elevation and the named distant destinations.

The Via Sacra stage

The Via Sacra stage from Aggsbach-Dorf to Wilhelmsburg follows circular hiking trail No. 653 via Besenbuch and passes Dunkelstein. This means Dunkelstein is both the destination of the approximately 2 km hiking route from Lauterbach and part of a named Via Sacra stage. These details serve different planning needs: one describes a local route and its length, while the other places the mountain along a stage between Aggsbach-Dorf and Wilhelmsburg.

Bildbuchenkapelle and its history

The pilgrimage chapel Bildbuchenkapelle, also known as Maria-Bild-Buchen, adds a historical dimension to the hiking themes. A wooden chapel burned down in 1892, and the Bildbuchenkapelle was built in 1894/95 as its replacement. The two names refer to the same pilgrimage chapel. A similar-sounding name appears in the Maria Bildbuche–Dunkelstein hiking route: Maria Bildbuche is part of the route name, while Maria-Bild-Buchen is the chapel’s alternative name. This distinction helps you understand the chapel and the hiking route as separate things.

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