Grieskirchen: Castles, Trails and Hill Country

The Grieskirchen district lies between the foothills of the Sauwald and Hausruck forests, and between the Salletwald forest and the western edge of the Welser Heide. Between the Sauwald and Hausruck, the landscape is shaped by rolling, fertile hill country with wooded hilltops, a characteristic feature of this part of Upper Austria. Numerous fruit trees blossom in spring—a defining feature of the Landl region. The district’s highest elevation is in the Hausruck, at 750 m.

Trails around Grieskirchen

The trails vary considerably in length and route. The 7 km Schloss Tollet Trail starts in the centre of Grieskirchen, leads to Schloss Tollet and returns to the starting point; the route takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes. The Schloss Parz Trail is 4.4 km long and connects the town centre with Schloss Parz before returning. A longer loop is the 10.2 km Two-Castle Loop: from the centre, it follows the Trattnach to Schloss Tollet, continues to Landschloss Parz and the Schloss Parz gallery, then returns to the centre. Route details for the Schloss Parz Trail and the Two-Castle Loop may change; check them before setting out.

The 3 km St. Georgen Orchard Avenue leads from Grieskirchen to St. Georgen bei Grieskirchen. It is suitable for walks and offers views from the ridge over the Trattnach valley and Schloss Tollet. Two woodland-themed trails offer a different experience: the Fit Trail in the municipal Zehetholz woodland has 12 stations. The forest information trail in Kickendorf has 12 panels on topics related to forests and trees.

Cycling is also catered for with specific routes and an event. The Trattnachtal Cycle Route R17 passes through Grieskirchen and continues to Eferding, where it connects to the Danube Cycle Path. The Grieskirchen 24-Hour Cycling Marathon uses a 21.5 km circuit. If you are planning your trip around the cycling marathon, check the event details in advance.

Castles, frescoes and history

Until the Innviertel was acquired in 1779, what is now the Grieskirchen district was a borderland. Because of its location on the border, the district has a particularly large number of castles and palaces. One striking example is Landschloss Parz: its Renaissance exterior frescoes are about 90 metres long and more than 10 metres high. They form the largest cycle of original Renaissance exterior frescoes preserved north of the Alps. The frescoes on the garden façade date from around 1580 and are considered a major work of Austrian and South German Renaissance art. The Renaissance garden is also clearly laid out: terraces with octagonal beds edged with box hedges feature a variety of plantings.

The first documented mention of the fortifications at Schloss Tollet dates from 1170. The Kulturama Schloss Tollet Museum focuses primarily on temporary exhibitions covering a wide range of topics. Schloss Tollet also houses the Upper Austrian State Bee Museum and a coachbuilding museum. The water castle of Aistersheim is entirely surrounded by water; two massive wooden bridges lead to its two large entrance gates.

Grieskirchen’s history can also be traced through individual buildings. The town’s parish church was first mentioned in a document in 1075. Inside the church, the tomb monument of Sigmund von Polheim and his wife Potentiana is considered a 16th-century art-historical rarity. Gundaker von Polheim had the Karbrunnen fountain built on the church square in 1610. Its octagonal basin holds 156 hectolitres of water.

The castle museum in Peuerbach has changed: the former Peasants’ War Museum is no longer there, and the castle museum was completely redesigned in 2023. Since 2023, it has hosted the exhibition “KOSMOS.New Worlds – Georg von Peuerbach and His Legacy.” The Peuerbach Shoemaking and Folk Traditions Museum offers a different perspective on local crafts, showcasing the traditional art of shoemaking.

Beer culture and getting around

The Grieskirchen Brewery offers tours with insights into everyday brewing and production, followed by tastings of various beer specialities. Check the current operating details before booking a tour. Braufux offers excursions with beer tasting and a snack by telephone appointment.

When planning a hotel stay, you can consider whether buildings and exhibitions, walks or cycling will shape your visit. As a guide for your journey, Grieskirchen-Gallspach railway station is about 1 km from the town of Grieskirchen.

Discover more destinations

Schlüßlberg, Bad Schallerbach, Gallspach, Sankt Agatha, Haag Am Hausruck, Grieskirchen, Wallern An Der Trattnach, Wendling, Neukirchen Am Walde, Geboltskirchen, Sankt Georgen Bei Grieskirchen, Sankt Thomas bei Waizenkirchen, Rottenbach, Pram, Pötting, Pollham, Peuerbach, Neumarkt Im Hausruckkreis, Natternbach, Michaelnbach, Meggenhofen, Kematen Am Innbach, Kallham, Hofkirchen An Der Trattnach, Heiligenberg, Gaspoltshofen, Eschenau Im Hausruckkreis, Sölden An Der Straß, Aistersheim, Steegen, Taufkirchen an der Trattnach, Tollet, Waizenkirchen, Weibern

For the higher-level travel overview: Upper Austria.