As we all know, life often has surprises in store — and so it did this time with our annual anniversary trip. Mid-October was just around the corner, but instead of romantic time for two, it was tea and tissues. First for me, then for my favourite person. The holiday was on the verge of falling through entirely. But one phone call later — "Mum, how spontaneous are you feeling, and do you have plans for the next 4 days?" — turned a couples' getaway into a wonderful mother-daughter-dog trip.

Our destination: the Mostviertel in Lower Austria, more specifically the region around Göstling an der Ybbs. And what can I say? This golden October short break with a dog was the best medicine and gifted us with unforgettable impressions. And since my mum originally comes from the Mostviertel, it was also a "back to the roots" kind of holiday.

Arriving at Hotel Fahrnberger – A Heart for Dogs (and Hungry Guests)

Our home for the next few days was the Hotel Fahrnberger in Göstling an der Ybbs. A very lovely, family-run 4-star hotel that won us over with its warmth straight away. The absolute highlight was the food. The cuisine was simply outstanding!

Hotel Fahrnberger with its wooden façade and car park set against an autumnal mountain backdrop.

By chance, on the first night we were the only guests. They could have served us a reduced breakfast, but no — the full, lavish buffet was laid out just for us. That was pure luxury and shows how much love goes into running this place.

Murphy was warmly welcome at the hotel, but wasn't allowed into the restaurant area. That was fine with us — the house communicated it clearly and had even offered to seat us in a separate little dining room. We decided to leave Murphy comfortably in the room, which suited him perfectly well.

Meat terrine with leaf salad and bell pepper sauce on a white plate at Hotel Fahrnberger.Chocolate dessert with cherries, Schlagobers and chocolate decoration on a plate.Salmon tartare with leaf salad and dots of mustard sauce on a white plate.Breaded fillet on sweet potato purée with green herb sauce and colourful vegetables.Evening sky with pink clouds over mountains and trees, seen through a hotel window.Breakfast buffet at Hotel Fahrnberger with bread, pastries and fruit on a wooden table.Sunset with orange glowing clouds above mountain silhouettes and autumnal trees.Murphy curled up with a blanket in his dog bed.

Our room was very spacious, cosily furnished in a traditional style with wooden furniture and a balcony. Since there were only a few steps to the exit, getting Murphy outside was a breeze.

A French Bulldog gazes from the balcony of Hotel Fahrnberger over an autumnal mountain valley.Room at Hotel Fahrnberger with a wooden bed, wooden floorboards and balcony door.Living area at Hotel Fahrnberger with a tiled stove, wooden ceiling and seating nook.Bathroom at Hotel Fahrnberger with a glass shower and blue-and-white tiling.

A small wellness area with a steam room, sauna, infrared cabin and relaxation lounge invited us to unwind after our afternoon outings.

Legs of a person resting on a lounger in the wellness area of Hotel Fahrnberger.Relaxation room at Hotel Fahrnberger with a row of wooden loungers.Buddha figurine with a lit candle on a sideboard; a woman is reflected in the mirror behind it.

Day 1: On the Wooden Trail through the Mendlingtal

After unpacking and settling in, we were immediately drawn out into nature. And since the Erlebniswelt Mendlingtal — named Lower Austria's regional winner in the "9 Places, 9 Treasures" competition in 2014 — begins right across from the hotel, nothing could have been easier.

Information board for the Mendlingtal experience trail showing opening hours, admission prices and route description.Entrance area of the Mendlingtal with an autumnally coloured tree and the entrance sign of the Triftanlage.Exhibit in the Mendlingtal: a historic horse-drawn vehicle with a horse silhouette under a protective roof.Babsi, her mother and Murphy sit beneath a wooden sign reading "Genuss Platzl".Wooden Kneipp foot-bath trough with running water and a bench in the Mendlingtal.A French Bulldog stands at the wooden Hammerherrensitz and gazes out over the autumnal valley.A tree trunk with the carved inscription "Am Holzweg" leaning against a moss-covered rock face.

Along the babbling Mendlingbach, several wooden boardwalks and bridges wind through this wildly romantic gorge. The damp air, the smell of moss, the glowing golden autumn leaves — it was simply enchanting and brought us closer to the power of water.

A French Bulldog stands on the gravel path of an herb garden with a well and an old wooden building.Wooden bench with the carved phrase "Huck di her" in front of an old barn door made of weathered wood.A French Bulldog stands inside an old smithy with an anvil, tools and a forge.Wooden boardwalk leading alongside a clear mountain stream through a narrow rock gorge with autumn foliage.Straw hat and a small wooden figure with a fishing rod on the railing of a boardwalk above the stream in the gorge.Two carved wooden chairs with the inscription "Mendlingtal" stand on gravel in front of an autumnal forest.Moss-covered tree with autumn foliage on the bank of a clear mountain stream in the Mendlingtal.A woman in a light-blue jacket stands on a wooden boardwalk beside a rock face and an autumnal stream in the Mendlingtal.Babsi and Murphy walk along a wooden boardwalk through an autumnal deciduous forest in the Mendlingtal.

Originally, tree trunks were transported here — timber that was vital to the iron-processing industry of the time. Hammer mills, log-floating installations and watermills can be marvelled at along the route. And the 2nd Vienna High Spring Water Pipeline runs through here, its source just beyond the border with Styria.

A small wooden bench with the inscription "Single-Bankerl" in front of a moss-covered rock face.A moss-covered rock with autumnally coloured trees juts above a narrow wooden boardwalk in a gorge.A moss-covered, leaning tree trunk in front of autumnally coloured forest along a wooden boardwalk in the Mendlingtal.Several brown mushrooms grow in a dense cluster on a mossy tree trunk in the forest.Entrance to the Klaushütte (woodcutter's hut) with an old wooden frame, crossed saws and a wrought-iron gate.A wooden board with nailed-on wood samples and information cards about various tree species.

We walked the route at a leisurely pace in roughly 1 hour 45 minutes and let the power of nature fill us with wonder. At the end of the trail, the Hammerherrenhaus awaited us with a cosy dining room, where we warmed up and refreshed ourselves with tea, coffee and cake. We had a taxi take us back to the hotel.

Murphy and a woman stand on a wooden boardwalk above a stream in an autumnal gorge.A stream flows through an autumnal forest with colourful foliage and a hiking path along its bank.Wooden boardwalks wind through a narrow gorge with waterfalls and autumnally coloured trees; a person visible in the background.Autumnally coloured forest lines a clear stream in the Mendlingtal, with a wooden bridge.Wooden boardwalk leading through a narrow rocky gorge with a stream in the Mendlingtal.Wooden figure sculpture "Trifter-Lois" in front of a moss-covered rock face in the Mendlingtal.

Trail Profile: Mendlingtal "Auf dem Holzweg"

  • Location: Lassing near Göstling an der Ybbs
  • Length: approx. 3.5 km (one way)
  • Dogs: Welcome on a lead (€ 2 entry fee, as of 2026)
  • Cost: Entry is included with the Niederösterreich-Card, otherwise € 12,- for adults. (as of 2026)
Rocky gorge with wooden walkway and small waterfall in the autumnal Mendlingtal.

Day 2: Postcard-perfect Lunzer See, a visit to Hochkar and the Leckermoos bog

The next day greeted us with brilliant sunshine and a vivid blue sky. Golden autumn was showing itself at its absolute finest!

Autumn-coloured trees frame the Lunzer See with mountains and clouds in the background.View through autumn trees of the calm Lunzer See with mountain reflections in the water.A brilliantly red maple tree in front of a wooden house at the Lunzer See under a blue sky.Murphy lying on his back on an autumnal meadow covered in leaves.Reeds on the shore of the Lunzer See with mountain reflections in the still autumn water.Babsi holds Murphy in her arms at the Lunzer See with mountains in the background.Murphy standing in the shallow water of the Lunzer See, looking down at the stones.Small yellow-and-white chapel from 1901 with a golden cross, surrounded by autumn trees.

We started with a leisurely lap around the Lunzer See, the only natural lake in Lower Austria. The trees around the crystal-clear water glowed in the most intense shades of yellow and red. We soaked up the sunshine, marvelled at the colours and simply savoured the moment. Absolutely unmissable for anyone travelling in autumn!

Murphy standing on a stone by a stream in an autumnal forest, looking to the side.Close-up of a tree trunk gnawed by a beaver, with pale wood exposed beneath the bark.The Lunzer See reflecting autumn-coloured mountain slopes and clouds in its still water.A painted stone in the shape of a house resting on a wooden bench in an autumnal forest.Murphy walking on a lead through a moss-covered deciduous forest.Murphy looking out from a wooden jetty over the still Lunzer See with autumn mountains behind.Yellow boathouse with painted green shutters standing directly on the Lunzer See.

After that we headed up to Hochkar, full of enthusiasm. We had planned to take the lift even higher, but the shoulder season put paid to that. An important tip for you: outside the main seasons, the lifts often only run at weekends! That was something we hadn't thought about.

The drive up the mountain pass road was an experience in itself all the same. After a delicious afternoon cake back at the hotel, we moved our evening stroll to the Leckermoos bog (part of the Dürrenstein-Lassingtal wilderness area). A simple, flat circular trail of about 1.5 km led us 3 through a unique and mystical landscape. Perfect for a quiet end-of-day walk.

Welcome sign for the Dürrenstein-Lassingtal wilderness area with UNESCO logo on a wooden shingle facade.A dog walking on a lead along a gravel path beside autumn-coloured trees.Wide alpine meadow with forested mountains in the background under a blue autumn sky.A lone deciduous tree with golden autumn foliage on a pasture in front of a conifer forest.Sunlight breaking through pine trees at the forest edge, with a fenced meadow in front.A large deciduous tree with sparse branches and autumn leaves in the middle of a forest.Winding country road through a hilly autumn landscape with mountains and a low sun.Gently rolling hills with green meadows, deciduous trees and hazy mountains in the distance.

Day 3: Iron, enamel and the journey home

On the third day we wanted to discover a little of the region's culture and drove to the following destinations:

  • Ybbsitz: We strolled through the market town on the Eisenstraße. The long history of the blacksmith's craft is palpable on every corner here, especially through the many beautiful iron sculptures.
  • RIESS Enamelware: This was a personal must for me! We just made it to the RIESS factory shop in time — they close at noon. I'm already the proud owner of a few of their pots. Luckily, Mum still needed a Christmas present or two for me — if you know what I mean ;)
  • Waidhofen an der Ybbs & Schloss Rothschild: Next we headed to the charming town centre of Waidhofen, where we treated ourselves to a light lunch in the elegant surroundings of Schloss Rothschild. In the afternoon we then enjoyed some relaxation time in the hotel spa.
A woman with a French Bulldog in front of the town hall in Ybbsitz.Town sign for the market municipality of Ybbsitz on a wrought-iron stand in front of a building.White church with a tall clock tower in Ybbsitz under an overcast sky.Three rusty iron duck sculptures on a lawn, with a stone wall and autumn trees behind them in Ybbsitz.Baroque grey building with white stucco ornaments and a stone fountain in front in Ybbsitz, autumn trees in the background.Historic row of houses in Ybbsitz with a yellow baroque building and an ivy-covered stone wall in the foreground.Historic iron eccentric press as an open-air exhibit in a garden, autumn trees behind.Yellow baroque building with white stucco ornaments and a traditional inn sign in Ybbsitz.Painted baroque figure of a saint in a wall niche of a stone building, with a miner's symbol above.Numerous small wrought-iron objects displayed on a white outdoor cabinet in Ybbsitz.Company sign for Riess and KELOmat on a blue stele, with an autumn forest behind.
Fountain with a figurative sculpture on the main square in Waidhofen an der Ybbs, town tower in the background.Facade of the Konditorei-Café Erb in Waidhofen an der Ybbs with stucco ornaments and window boxes.Church with a yellow tower in Waidhofen an der Ybbs, with a wrought-iron entrance gate in front.Information board about Schloss Rothschild in Waidhofen an der Ybbs mounted on a stone wall.Courtyard of Schloss Rothschild with a keep, red autumn foliage and an overgrown arcade.Schloss Rothschild with Gothic towers and red autumn foliage, a beer garden in the courtyard.Arcade of Schloss Rothschild, densely covered in red and yellow autumn foliage.Wooden table with menus in the vaulted restaurant of Schloss Rothschild, bar in the background.A French Bulldog looking directly up into the camera from below.

Sometimes it's the spontaneous decisions that lead to the most wonderful trips. Our short break in the Mostviertel was exactly that: relaxed, close to nature and incredibly restorative. The region is a true paradise of colour in autumn and a dream for anyone who wants to hike and unwind without the hustle and bustle. The dog-friendliness was evident everywhere and made the holiday absolutely perfect. Highly recommended from us!

My verdict: the Mostviertel is a perfect holiday destination with a dog, especially in autumn — but probably at any other time of year too ;)

Do you already know the Mostviertel? Tell me your favourite spots!