Gallneukirchen: Trails and Culture

Gallneukirchen offers a variety of ways to get to know the surrounding area and its history: several hiking trails each have their own focus, alongside churches, the local history museum and historic memorial sites. If you are planning a stay, you can consider whether a trail outdoors, architectural history or a combination of the two matters most to you.

Hiking trails with different focuses

The Gallneukirchen Nature and Culture Trail is a circular route about 7 km long, with a rich natural and cultural experience. It follows old horse-drawn railway tracks, passing the former “Waldheimat” station building, and runs along the Gusen. This combines a connection to the former railway line with a route alongside the Gusen. The Gallinger Höhenweg offers a different focus: at 2.5 km, it provides views of the Gallneukirchen Basin.

The 6 km-long Horse-Drawn Railway Hiking Trail also explores the railway’s history. For the most part, it follows the former railway line. Comparing the three routes with stated distances, the Gallinger Höhenweg is the shortest at 2.5 km; the Horse-Drawn Railway Hiking Trail is 6 km long, and the Nature and Culture Trail about 7 km. These figures make it easy to compare the routes, which offer different connections to the landscape, views and regional history.

The accessible G1 themed trail starts and ends at Gallneukirchen Town Hall. It follows the Gusen to the Mirellenbach and back. In addition to trails with stated distances, this provides a circular route with a specified starting and finishing point. If accessibility is important for your plans, you can consider the G1 as a distinct type of trail.

Churches, crafts and history

The Gallneukirchen local history museum displays objects as well as workshops from the region’s former commercial and craft businesses. Its exhibition themes provide an insight into these past lines of work. St. Gallus Catholic Church offers a different perspective on the town’s history: its present form was built in the 14th century. Its features include a Late Gothic ribbed vault, a high altar and a pulpit dating from 1770, as well as a fresco from around 1500.

The Evangelical Christ Church also has distinctive architectural features: its nave is divided into three bays and two aisles, with ribbed vaults; it also has a Neo-Gothic pulpit. These terms describe the layout of the nave and complement the details about its vaults and pulpit. Anyone interested in church architecture will find two distinct examples in Gallneukirchen: St. Gallus, with its present form dating from the 14th century and the features described above, and Christ Church, with its divided nave and Neo-Gothic pulpit.

Gugalea is a somber chapter in local history. From 1272 to 1411, the site served as the execution ground of the episcopal Passau high court; from 1576 to 1756, death sentences were carried out there by the Starhemberg court. Today, a memorial plaque and a Gothic stone column commemorate the historic execution site of Gugalea on Penkenberg, in the forest above Warschenhofergut. The two periods and the courts responsible belong to different chapters of this history.

Practical information for your stay

The Gallneukirchen/Engerwitzdorf Motor Skills Arena is open year-round and free to use; water dispensers and seating are also available. As operating arrangements may change, check the current conditions before your visit. This will help you fit the attraction into your day’s plans.

A Postbus service connects Linz main railway station with Gallneukirchen. Before travelling, check the Upper Austrian Transport Association’s timetable for your chosen travel date, as schedules vary over time. When looking for a hotel in Gallneukirchen, your planned activities can help you choose a destination: the trails vary in length and focus, while the local history museum, churches and Gugalea offer additional cultural themes.

Discover more destinations: Haibach im Mühlkreis, Eidenberg, Alberndorf in der Riedmark, Vorderweißenbach, Mursberg, Lichtenberg, Weignersdorf, Dürnberg

Return to the overview of the region: Urfahr-Umgebung.