Circular route 1b - Dürre Ager valley

Very beautiful hike, which leads partly over lush meadows and dirt tracks through the Dürren Ager valley. We make a detour to the Viechter summit cross and hike along the forest to the Hehenberg viewpoint.

We start our hiking tour at the municipal office Vöcklamarkt in northern direction and turn immediately at the tobacconist's into Herrnwiesweg. Walking in an easterly direction we reach the Pfaffinger Bezirksstraße. After passing this road we come to the wooden Herrnsteg, on which we cross the Vöckla.

From here we walk through a meadow landscape in the direction of Aierzelten. At a fork in the road we turn right, take the Westbahn underpass and soon reach the village. We hike through the scattered settlement and soon come to a prominent Vöcklabrücke bridge. Immediately after the bridge we turn left and walk a short distance on the sidewalk, which is laid out along the Frankenburger Landesstraße. Just before the Pillichshammer carpenter's workshop we cross the Frankenburger Landesstraße. Now we go up to Walkering. On the left hand side we soon see the beautiful Walkering Castle.

On the height of the castle the road leads after a sharp right turn slightly uphill to the village Viecht. At a lovingly designed sundial we enjoy the magnificent view down into the Vöckla valley as well as the magnificent panorama of the mountains of the Salzkammergut. We now briefly follow the slightly sloping road, but then immediately turn left again and then hike into the forest. At a fork in the road it is worth taking a small detour - up to the left we reach the Viechter summit cross (300m).

Return along the forest to the lookout point Hehenberg. Here you can already see down to the busy B1, which we have to cross in the following. Immediately afterwards, however, it becomes comfortable again. On field paths we hike across lush meadows and finally reach the bank of the Dürren Ager. Now we hike a short distance upstream and soon come to the road that leads up to Unteralberting. We follow this path and reach a fork in the road in the area of the village. There we have to decide whether to venture an extension of the hiking trail Route 1b to Reichenthalheim (about 5km longer) or to continue on Route 1a.

We decided to take the longer route 1b, so we continue on the path that leads back down to the left. At an old house we follow the path that leads to the forest on the right. There we also reach the Dürren Ager again. Now we walk upstream through a beautiful forest to Reichenthalheim. As soon as we have reached the ascending road, we can either go downhill on the left for about 200m to the Landgasthof Nussbaumer (http://www.gasthof-nussbaumer.com), recover a bit there and recharge our batteries with food and drink, or we continue hiking uphill on the right.

Following the road we come to Haid. We continue straight ahead and reach the B1 again. We have to cross this road and then walk along the narrow field path to Grünberg. At the end of the settlement we finally come to the small bicycle and pedestrian underpass of the Frankenburger Landesstraße, through which we can cross this road without danger. Now we hike a short distance in a westerly direction along the (mostly waterless) Mösentaler Bach stream to the local train station or ÖBB station Vöcklamarkt. There we use the underpass of the Westbahn line and then return to the starting point of the circular hike.