E8 Trail

Together with a great weather forecast I get on the train to Austria for a hiking trip, in order to get as far as to the outskirts of Vienna. I start in Retz with climbing the big local tower of the townhall (I did not have the breath when I was here the previous time). The view is very nice, in all directions. After enjoying that I leave for the horizon that I have been looking at in the southeast.

In a good pace I hike through the villages of Haugsdorf and Mailberg to Grossharras (32 km). The local people that I come along are in good spirits; it is weekend, the weather is great, the long winter has finally come to an end and the fields and gardens are blossoming very nicely. A lot of people grow tulips in their gardens and their colors are very lively. Arriving in Grossharras I decide to have a big meal and see how far I will be able to hike afterwards. The meal is good (Wiener Schnitzel) and it gives me energy, a lot of energy . . . . . . .  I continue my walk in a steady pace, crossing low hills and long valleys; along vinyards and through woods. The weather is still good, no clouds, my feet are all in one painless and my motivation remains good. After passing the village of Ernstbrunn (56 km) I realize that there is still no reason to stop and therefor I decide to continue to the finish of this trip, in Langenzersdorf. After hiking all these many hours the pace is going down a bit, but it continuous to be steady. In the final 15 km of this stage some very impressive hills need to be climbed, and these are not easy for me after such a long stage. Finally, I find myself on top of the Bisamberg hill, a huge recreational hill in the vincinity of Austria’s capital Vienna. For the first time in many kilometers I overview the river Danube again along the E8. After a steep descent of 2 km I arrive in the small village of Langenzersdorf.

I get myself a room in the only inn that is situated here and within 10 minutes I am completely  gone from this planet. Hiking is so great if it goes without complications!

After a good night’s rest I continue to walk at 06.00 am. Vienna is waiting!

I leave the silent town of Raabs and along the river Thaya and over the hills I go southeast. At some point I realize I am following the wrong track and I have to go back 1.5 km in order to find the E8 again. A roadsign was fallen into some bushes and was able to escape my attention. After passing the village Kollmitz I cross the Thaya and the path continuous through a steep valley. My motivation decreases during the morning hours rapidly as the guidebook tells me that the town of Drosendorf is only 12 km from today’s starting point, and I use more than 6 hours to get there! As if I only walk 2 km per hour! It shows that the distances in the guidebook of Trego are not always very accurate. The surrounding area fortunately makes it no punishment to be on the road for some extra time: the Trail crosses hills with woods and fields, with down in the valley the Thaya flowing. In the afternoon at 3.00pm I pass the village of Geras. There is a well known monastery situated here. Its reputation appears to be widely spread, given the fact that there are tens of Japanese tourists walking in the village. After Geras the path goes back north again, to the village of Langau. It is not a stimulance for the motivation to walk in huge north/south loops eastbound, as I have to do today. Using the regular road the distance from Raabs to Langau would be less than 20 km, and I have to walk almost double that distance. Just before Langau I am overtaken. Only by a thunderstorm, but nevertheless but it’s not a nice experience. As I have to cross high grass sections, my shoes get soaken wet. Fortunately, today’s finish location is not far anymore.

After having eaten a pizza in a cafeteria near the local lake, I go to sleep early. Behind the lake the Czech border is situated at a 500 meter distance. It’s a funny idea to know that the trees that I can see in the far are situated in a country that I have never visited. During the night there are some rain showers.

n.b.: acurately measuring the path from Raabs to Drosendorf tells me that the distance is not 12 km, as the guidebook says, but 18,5km! Add to this the 3 km that I have mistakenly walked and the 6 hours that I have used are explained.

It is getting light when I have folded my tent and leave with a full backpack at 5.30am. The sky is unclouded and the first sunlight feels comforting.

I walk parallel to the Thaya northbound. After an hour I pass through the small village named Thaya. It is surrounded by hills and fields. Further north the route leads through woods and along fields and open land. Near the settlement named Radlmühle the path changes its course to the southeast. After some time I pass the town of Karlstein (south of Thuma). I have been looking forward to this for some time, as this is the town where the only clockrepairman school in Austria is situated. Between 1920 and 1925 one of their students was my own grandfather. It is strange to walk here and to realize that he, at that time a teenager, walked these streets as well. The weather is cloudy, and the path continuous southeastbound. The final 5 km of today’s hike take me across the banks of the river Thaya, as the river twists its way through a steep valley. It is very pretty and quiet, but after a while all the curves look endless to me. At the end of the day I arrive in Raabs, where I check in at the local hotel as there is no camping site. The restaurant has made a big mistake in its planning: tonight they have a dinerbuffet with all kinds of cold and warm dishes. I do my best to make the buffet as much empty as possible.

 As I already said in the previous two stages of this three-day-trip: hiking in June means to me making long days from early in the morning to late in the evening. This is my last day of this trip, as I will have to be on the bus at 4.30pm in one of the villages that I will pass through today. I have a lot of pain in my feet after two days hiking in wet shoes. Today is a bright and sunny day, and it will be warm too. I get up without too many problems at 4.30am and at 05.20 I leave the refuge.

The sun has just risen and surrounded by the awakaning nature I walk downhill into the lowlands of Niederöstereich. The pace that I am able to keep is very low, but fortunately I do not have to stop for breaks or so. After passing the villages of Weitra and Dietmanns, I start the final part of the stage to the city of Gmünd. It is 12.30pm, it’s very hot and the path goes upwards (once more) when I pass a bench in the shade. I can’t prevent myself from sitting down and I doze away for a couple of minutes. After waking up my back is full of mosquito lumps. Shit! I put my backpack on again, and continue to walk. Once I am on track again, the last section to Gmünd is well to be done. Gmünd turns out to be an important city on the Austrian-Czech border. At 3.15pm I arrive at the local railwaystation.

This railway station is for E8-hikers such as myself one of the most ideal ones that I have come across: it has a front and a back gate, the busstation is situated directly next to it, and oposite the station building there are two (!) supermarkets where one can get all the refreshments and snacks that one can dream of. With a very satisfied feeling I sit down in the sun with an Almdudler softdrink and wait for the bus. Life can be great.

After a very comfortable night in the so called heavenly-bedroom of the inn at the Ameisberg hill, I have left at 07.15 again.

The weather is grey and chilly. The first kilometers take me downhill, and are very easy to do. After 14 km., beyond the village Tannberg-Doppl, the signs that indicate the direction of the Trail get very poor and I loose quit some time finding my way. The signage  improves a bit after 34 km. but it does not get to the level of satisfaction anymore. During the afternoon the weather lightens up a little bit, and under a light-blue sky I go up and down the hills of the Mühlviertel region, eastbound. The scenery is wide and open, with here and there some small woods. The trees are all magnificently changing their colours and the variety that I experience is very impressive. The ascension of the Hansberg hill (after 32 km.) is more boring than beautifull. After sunset I arrive at my finish location of today.

I expect that in every small village in Austria there has to be a gasthouse of some kind, and I am right about that today. After dinner, I feel my feet and legs are very stiff and painfull. The next day I take the bus back to the city of Linz, and consequently the train back home again. I have the feeling now, that I am really very far away from home.