Sankt Anton an der Jessnitz: Hiking and History

Sankt Anton an der Jessnitz combines sacred architectural history and traditional crafts with hiking opportunities and natural park scenery. Other highlights include the Antonisee, formed by a landslide, and an observatory whose surroundings are suitable for astronomical observations. If you are looking for a hotel, you can decide in advance what you want to focus on during your trip: hiking, local history or stargazing.

Church, Stations of the Cross and local history

The parish church of St. Anthony was dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua in 1691. The Stations of the Cross lead from the church to the Antoniusbründl spring and continue up to Calvary Hill. The twelfth station on Calvary Hill is a large, late-Baroque round chapel built in 1737.

The “In the Footsteps of Adreas Töpper” experience trail explains the origins of historic buildings and provides information about the town and its special features at three presentation points and additional information boards. An exhibition at the Bruderlade explores working life and everyday life on the threshold of the industrial age. Topics include the lives of farmers and craftspeople, festivals and customs, food and drink, fashion and religion.

The open-air museum in Reifgraben includes a historic grain store, a mill and a drying house with a flax-breaking room (Brechhäusl). Flax was once dried in the drying house and then processed in the flax-breaking room. The history of a specific craft thus complements the insights into buildings and everyday life.

Antonisee and the nature park

The Antonisee was formed by a landslide in 1910. The Ötscher-Tormäuer Nature Park also extends into the municipal area of Sankt Anton an der Jessnitz. The formation of a single lake and the municipality’s inclusion in the nature park therefore represent two distinct connections to the landscape.

Hiking: circular trail and Via Aqua

Sankt Anton an der Jessnitz has 100 kilometres of marked hiking trails. One family-friendly circular trail is 7 kilometres long; with good footwear, it takes about three hours to walk. A longer circular route is the Via Aqua, the Water Trail: it is 75 kilometres long and passes through Purgstall, Scheibbs, Gaming and Sankt Anton an der Jessnitz. The route can be completed in four or five stages and leads to places along the Erlauf, on the Iron Road and in the Ötscher-Tormäuer Nature Park. This gives hikers a choice between two different formats: a single circular walk with an approximate walking time and a considerably longer, multi-stage route.

Observatory and views of the Ötscher

The Hochbärneck Astro Station is an observatory near the Hochbärneck alpine lodge, in the heart of the Ötscher-Tormäuer Nature Park. From the astro station, views stretch across expansive alpine pastures to the 1,893-metre-high Ötscher. Low light pollution makes the area suitable for astronomical observations. The views of the landscape and the night sky offer a different focus from the hiking trails and sites of cultural and historical interest.

Public transport

Bus route MO22 is part of the public transport network in Sankt Anton an der Jessnitz. Check the current timetable before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Göstling an der Ybbs, Steinakirchen am Forst, Kienberg bei Gaming, Hochreit, Purgstall an der Erlauf, Oberamt, Schliefau, Wieselburg

Go to the main travel overview: Scheibbs.