The best traffic-free bike rides around Sankt Marien

The Sulzbach flows into the Krems River near Halbarting. This point is located directly on the Krems Valley Cycle Path (R10), which runs from Neuhofen an der Krems to the Traun River and offers numerous scenic stretches. The cycle path offers particularly beautiful views of the estuary. The Sulzbach itself is an approximately 20-kilometer-long right tributary of the Krems River, with its source south of Nussbach at approximately 605 meters above sea level. It flows through the communities of Adlwang, Pfarrkirchen near Bad Hall, and Rohr im Kremstal before flowing into the Krems River near Halbarting. Overall, the confluence of the Sulzbach and the Krems River represents both a scenically attractive spot for cyclists and an ecologically important body of water.

Here you can see how the Traun connects to the Danube.

Stop at the castle tavern

small, quiet, good for a break 😉

At the PV Kematen barbecue.

2 - Dogs were nice to me, just not afraid 😐

The two-winged Renaissance castle dates back to 1588. Further renovations were commissioned around 1670 by the canons Siegbert von Geilenkirchen and Thomas von Kandlberg. It is characterized by an arcaded walkway facing the courtyard. These arcades were enclosed by outbuildings until the renovation. The rooms on the upper floor also served as the official residence of the caretaker – and thus of the courts – for a long time. The Knights of Kast occupied the castle as a summer residence. The dilapidated castle was finally purchased by the municipality of Sierning in 1969 and renovated by the Traunviertel Cultural Association and the town of Sierning. An annex was added to the building, which houses the Sierning municipal office. Following the revitalization of the castle courtyard and the installation of state-of-the-art infrastructure, including a new castle café, it is now possible to host any event. The flagship events are the summer arts and crafts market with up to 10,000 visitors, the Sierning Advent with its Advent village in the castle courtyard, and the Guard Festival. Numerous cultural events and concerts take place throughout the year, both in the castle and in the covered courtyard.

Shortly after the founding of Garsten Abbey, in the first quarter of the 12th century, the Benedictine Abbey of Gleink emerged from the Bamberg fiefdom of Glunich. The founders, Arnhalm I and his son Bruno, from the ministerial Gleink-Volkersdorf family, whose employers, the Styrian Otakars, co-founded the abbey, had the fortress converted into a monastery. The monastery complex, dedicated to the Apostle Andrew, already existed around 1120. The Romanesque monastery building was damaged by fire in the 13th century. In the first half of the 17th century, primarily due to looting during the Peasants' War of 1626, the monastery fell into dire straits. Under the following abbots, the great Baroque building period also began for Gleink. As part of the church reforms, Gleink was secularized on May 21, 1784. Parish pastoral care in Gleink was taken over by secular priests, and the monastery buildings were temporarily used as barracks. The bishops of the Diocese of Linz then happily used Gleink as a summer residence. In 1832, the Salesian Sisters came to Gleink from Vienna. At its peak, their monastery numbered up to 70 sisters. From around 1950 onwards, there were no new enrollments, and in 1977, it was finally dissolved. In 1950, the Order of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart took over parish pastoral care and, until 1990, also operated a Caritas home, a feared reformatory for boys. Since 2022, the monastery building has served as the "cultural GUT storage" of the Diocese of Linz. The external depot of the Diocesan Archives houses archival materials from the parishes as well as the art and furniture depot with over 2,000 works of art and furniture.