Historische Rundwanderung zum 21. April 1945

This trail has its own hiking map with detailed explanations, available from the Attnang-Puchheim office, Marktstraße 9, Tuesday 9am - 2pm and Friday 8am - 12pm or from Eva Kurz, who also offers guided tours. Contact Eva Kurz for guided tours by email or phone +43 650 9189 731!

ATTENTION: Duration is longer than 3 hours and varies according to the interest of the participants, as it is a cultural walk.

On 21 April 1945, just a few days before the end of the war, the Attnang-Puchheim railway junction was destroyed by a US Air Force bombing raid lasting several hours. Not only the railway system, but also a large part of the residential area around the station was reduced to rubble. More than 700 people were killed.
There are many answers to the question as to the reason for this, such as the rumour of a planned Alpine fortress, or the fact that Attnang-Puchheim, as a railway junction, was a transshipment point for the transport of troops, weapons and ammunition.
Bahnhofstrasse was also home to the secret armaments command outpost. It was responsible for the "Kalk" armaments plant in the tunnels near Ebensee and for "Schlier" in Redl-Zipf. Rocket fuel was produced there and the combustion chambers of the "V 2" (retaliation weapon) were tested. All transports travelled via Attnang-Puchheim.
Last but not least, the weather also played an important role. As visibility for the Allied bombers coming from southern Italy deteriorated, they did not aim at the main targets such as Brenner, Passau or Rosenheim, but at one of the alternative targets: Attnang-Puchheim.
After many years of arduous reconstruction and endeavouring to come to terms with the traumatic experiences, Attnang-Puchheim was able to celebrate its elevation to market town and finally to city status.
The phoenix in the coat of arms symbolises this new era.

Start:

• Meeting point and start at Dr.-Karl-Renner-Platz (bus station)
  
• Street of 21 April
• via Bahnhofstraße to the monument at the railway station
• Railway station - Dr.-Karl-Renner-Platz
• Stelzhamergasse
• Turn right into Römerstraße to the school
• Crossing Kochstraße left to the chapel of 21st April
• Straight ahead to the kindergarten
• Left into Andreas-Hofer-Gasse
• Turn right into Wankhamer Strasse to the Mörtlbauern farm: Escape route into the Attnanger Au

in Puchheim:

• via Maria-Theresien-Straße
• Turn left into Puchheimer Straße to the castle entrance
• through the castle courtyard into St George's Church near the monastery
• down the castle steps
• turn right along the ponds
• cross Gmundner Straße and walk up Kellergasse
• Turn left into Dr.-Riedlinger-Straße to house no. 30 = former brown cellar
• Dr.-Riedlinger-Straße back through the Köppl-Hauser farmhouse
• Turn left along Grillparzerstraße and Franz-Keim-Straße
• Cross Vöcklabrucker Straße and straight ahead to Teichbachl
• left to Salzburger Straße B1

Continue to Alt-Attnang

• Follow Salzburger Straße to the right until you reach the subway
• Turn left under the B1 and continue across the Westbahn railway line
• after the bridge turn left into Industriestraße
• Turn right towards Steinhüblstraße/"Kreuzland"
• turn right along the Franz-Nöhammer cycle path (part of the Roman cycle path)
• Turn left at Salzburger Straße
• straight ahead over the crossroads, the railway crossing and the Redlbach bridge
• in Linzer Straße turn left to house number 3b, Weinkeller/Hagl

Alternatives for the way back

1. Return and continue along Linzer Straße, then turn right into Friedhofsweg, through the cemetery to the memorial, continue through the rear exit to the right to Pestalozzigasse and left along Schulweg, follow Bäckergasse to the left.
2. Take the shortcut from Hager Keller across Linzer Straße and follow Bäckergasse.

Return to the starting point through the railway subway, cross Wiener Straße (B1) and follow Badgasse until Waldstraße begins on the right.

1. Turn left over the Spitzberg, past the leisure centre back to the Spitzbergweg or
2. Take a shortcut right into Waldstraße and along Humboldstraße to the church, then turn into Kirchstraße and straight on to Dr.-Karl-Renner-Platz.

Via Straße des 21. April to Rathausplatz and continue along Marktstraße to the Phönixbrunnen fountain below the Phönixsaal, destination and end of the walk!