Ohlsdorf

The connections range from Thomas Bernhard to Romanesque churches and a history of pilgrimage, as well as a trials museum; areas within the Lower Traun European protected area are also part of the picture. Literature, architectural history, local religious history, technology and bird conservation offer different perspectives on Ohlsdorf. Depending on your interests, you can focus on literature, church history or nature.

Thomas Bernhard: House and circular trail

The Bernhard House preserves its distinctive furnishings unchanged and documents the life and development of its former resident, Thomas Bernhard. The Thomas Bernhard Trail explores his work in a different way: created for the 2008 provincial exhibition, the circular trail leads through the municipality of Ohlsdorf and includes 15 stops. At the stops, significant quotations from Bernhard’s work are displayed on objects designed after his distinctive wingback chair. The house and trail offer different emphases: the Bernhard House combines the preserved furnishings with documentation of his life, while the trail focuses on text quotations and chair motifs. This gives you a choice between a biographical focus and an exploration of selected passages from his work.

Romanesque church and historic bells

The Romanesque church in Aurachkirchen is one of Austria’s best-preserved Romanesque village churches. This makes Romanesque architectural history a distinct subject for travellers interested in historic church architecture. The branch church in Aurachkirchen houses two bells considered probably the oldest surviving bells in the Diocese of Linz. They are believed to have been cast around 1280; the bells weigh 120 and 70 kilograms, respectively. Around 1280 is therefore an approximate date, while the two weights are stated precisely. The difference in weight adds a direct comparison of the bells to their estimated casting date. These details offer different perspectives on church history: the classification of the church building and the cautiously dated, precisely weighed bells.

Votive image and pilgrimage history

The votive image “Mother of Good Hope,” created by Christian Degenhart in 1657, soon made Ohlsdorf a much-visited pilgrimage destination. It connects a specific religious image with the historical development of the place. Unlike the architectural history, the focus here is on pilgrimage: the votive image shaped Ohlsdorf’s development as a pilgrimage destination. The year 1657 dates the creation of the image; the development into a pilgrimage destination followed soon afterwards.

An exhibit at the trials museum

There is also a specific point of interest for technology enthusiasts: specialist coverage published in 2024 considers a 1978 KTM T325 probably the most significant exhibit at the trials museum because of its local connections and Austrian design. This is a qualified assessment and refers to this particular exhibit.

Nature and the Lower Traun

The Lower Traun European protected area (bird protection area, AT3113000) also includes land in Ohlsdorf. Nature and bird conservation thus complement the area’s cultural and historical themes. If you wish to visit the protected area, check the applicable access rules separately.

Discover more destinations: Scharnstein, Neukirchen, Grünau Im Almtal, Gosau, Laakirchen, Ebensee, Gmunden, Bad Ischl

Back to the main travel overview: Gmunden.