Berndorf near Salzburg: Hiking, Nature and History

Berndorf near Salzburg combines a gently varied agricultural landscape with distinctive natural and historical landmarks. Farmsteads and hamlets shape the scenery. When planning your stay, the hiking trails, Lake Grabensee and the area’s architectural history offer different starting points—from paths through the cultural landscape to the village’s distinctive features.

Landscape and Views

The lime tree at Thurn stands above the Kalchgrubergut farm at an elevation of 687 m and has been protected as a natural monument since 1992. It is also a viewpoint: from there, the view stretches across the village, far into the Innviertel region of Upper Austria and south to the mountains. As a destination on one of the hiking trails described, it links the landscape and a sense of direction with a specific place.

The municipality also includes Lake Grabensee, the smallest of the three Trumer Lakes. The area around the lake is a landscape and nature conservation area. Its largely undeveloped, natural shores and the extensive bogs along the western and northern shores provide habitats and nesting grounds for rare animal species. Berndorf therefore encompasses both a farming landscape shaped by its hamlets and a protected lake and wetland environment.

Hiking Trails Around Berndorf

One hiking route leads from the village via Oberkarellen, Stadl and Buchwinkl to the plague column and continues to the lime tree at Thurn. It then passes through several hamlets on the way back to Berndorf. A second route leads from the village via the hamlet of Mangelberg to Gransdorf, around Lake Grabensee and back via the hamlets of Stemesed, Flurnsbach and Kreuzweg.

The two routes offer different highlights: the first links several hamlets with the plague column and the viewpoint, while the second circles Lake Grabensee and passes through the hamlets mentioned. When choosing between them, consider whether you would rather include the view from the lime tree or the lake as a destination on your tour.

Church, Architecture and Local History

The present-day parish church and the Anna Chapel were built around 1440 in the late Gothic style. Around 1700, the parish church was a popular pilgrimage site known as “Maria in den Erlen.” A distinctive Baroque onion dome was added to its tower in 1684. Instead of a cross, its spire bears a 2 m-high Madonna surrounded by rays. This feature makes it the only church tower of its kind in Salzburg’s Flachgau region.

Franz Xaver Gruber is also commemorated at sites associated with Berndorf. He lived from 25 November 1787 to 7 June 1863 and composed the melody for the song “Silent Night, Holy Night.” A bronze statue of him stands by the cemetery wall. At the old village square, a VIA NOVA fountain in front of the Neuwirt inn marks the municipality’s location on the European VIA NOVA pilgrimage route.

Cycling and Pump Track

There is also a specific local attraction for cyclists: the Bajuwaren Cycle Route runs directly through Berndorf, from Mattsee to Waging am See. There is also a paved pump track on Sportplatzstraße. Its continuous loop features rollers, steep turns and jumps; you can ride it without pedalling on various equipment, from a bicycle to a skateboard. If you plan to use the track, check the current terms of use in advance.

The options range from longer hiking trails through hamlets and countryside to a cycle route with named endpoints and a pump track in the village. Together with Lake Grabensee, the lime-tree viewpoint at Thurn and the historic buildings, Berndorf offers several different themes to help you plan your trip.

Discover more destinations: Gois, Muntigl, Bürmoos, Nußdorf Am Haunsberg, Köstendorf near Salzburg, Seeham, Elixhausen, Eugendorf

Go to the higher-level travel overview: Salzburg-Flachgau.