A short weekend trip took us to the early-summer Pielachtal, or more precisely into the Tal der Dirndln. My favourite person, Murphy and Vincent the pug are joining me on a Hundereise into the Mostviertel, Lower Austria.
Vincent – you've already met him at the Badener Hundetag and the Bully & Mops Treffen Baden – is a wonderful travel companion for Murphy. He's an easy-going soul who never pushes himself to the front, yet always wants to be part of the action and absolutely loves playing with the "Blondie".
The Steinschalerhof – a nature hotel in the Pielachtal.
My favourite person and I had already stayed at the Naturhotel Steinschalerhof two years ago, back then with Che and Amy in the Haus Annemarie. This time we booked the Teichhaus, which is about a 3-minute walk from the main building – more details on that below.
The biologically regional herb kitchen impressed us just as much this time as it did on our last visit. The attentiveness and helpfulness of the staff are as delightful as the fact that dogs are welcome throughout the restaurant and hotel – except in the sauna area ;)
The request to have our first dinner on "our" veranda is no problem at all. The chef is actually already about to clock off, but conjures up a fantastic wild herb salad with chanterelles and sheep's cheese for us. As it starts to rain while I go to collect the food, I'm given cling film, a tray and an escort to the car, since my darling comes to pick me up so I don't get wet.
Just how extensive the nature hotel's grounds really are, we only discovered this year with Murphy and Vincent. The show gardens offer the two-legged visitor a colourful blaze of blooms and the four-legged one plenty to sniff out, crowned by a refreshing cool-down at the dog swimming spot in the Tradigistbach.
The dog facts at the Steinschalerhof
Garden chalets with their own fenced enclosure
Water and food bowls, treats, poop bags and dog towels waiting in the room
Dog station at reception
Dogs welcome both at breakfast and in the restaurant area at all other times
Knowledgeable advice on hiking routes and walking tips
Dogs are allowed on the Mariazeller Bahn (don't forget the muzzle!) – the station is about 150 m away – and it takes you to the gorgeous Ötschergräben ;)
Dedicated dog swimming spot in the show garden area, plus further stream access points along the hiking routes
House dog Paula always on hand as a capable head of department
The Teichhaus – our accommodation!
After a journey of just over an hour, we arrive in the Pielachtal. We receive the key to Teichhaus 23 and the moment I open the garden gate, I'm hit by a "wall of slow-down". The wild-romantic cottage has a wonderfully rustic wooden interior and offers everything you could need for a holiday with dogs.
On the ground floor we find the bathroom, the living room complete with wood-burning stove, and the kitchen (you could self-cater if you wished). The two bedrooms – one with a double bed, the other with single beds – are on the upper floor. The garden is well fenced in, has a fire pit and a wood store.
Our favourite spot, though, is the generous, covered veranda, where we look out over the large pond and the lush green of nature soothes our eyes. The smaller seating area to the right is more than enough for us, and for the two caretakers it's the perfect vantage point for spotting visitors to the pond.
Worth mentioning is that the Mariazeller Bahn passes behind the Teichhaus every half hour on its pilgrimage (it doesn't run at night!). This may dampen the relaxing idyll slightly; but I (or rather we) are quite good at tuning out such background effects. During the day we're out and about most of the time anyway.
The pond.
The Steinschaler Teich is surrounded by a roughly 750 m circular path set amid natural, untouched vegetation and diverse wildlife. Butterflies in wonderful colours, dragonflies, birds and even beavers live here. We didn't see the latter in the flesh, but their traces were very much in evidence.
From Warth to Kirchberg.
Our first outing takes us from Warth, where the Steinschalerhof is located, towards Kirchberg an der Pielach. We leave the Teichhaus and stroll a little way along the tracks of the Mariazellerbahn before turning left towards the main road to cross over to the other side of the Pielach.
On level ground we walk 2.5 km along the paved path called "Kirchberggegend", passing through Unterpriel and Oberpriel. Cows, sheep, horses, cats, chickens and a deer are there to be spotted — Vincent and Murphy find the chickens by far the most exciting. Almost at Kirchberg, Vincent decides he's had quite enough.
Since we always listen to what our guest dogs are telling us, we turn around and head back home. Play breaks and a good roll in the lush grass are thoroughly enjoyed, and the little paws that have been running hot get a cooling dip in the stream before we return to the romantic Teichhaus.
Summary: Warth to Kirchberg
Dog Facts for This Walk
- Distance: 4.8 km
- Duration with play, stream and photo breaks: 1:30 h, without: 1:10 h
- Flat walk on a paved path
- Leash required in places due to grazing livestock (fenced)
- Occasional encounters with joggers or cyclists
The Pielachtal.
The region is also known as the Dirndltal. The word "Dirndl" has three different meanings.
- Young girl
- Traditional dress
- Fruit
The valley in the Mostviertel is rich in flourishing Dirndl shrubs, which is primarily where it gets its name. The Dirndl — also known as the Kornelkirsche or Herlitze (cornelian cherry) — belongs to the dogwood family, blooms in March and April, and is harvested as a red fruit from late summer through to autumn. The tangy-sweet berries are turned into juices, jams, fruit brandies and many other delicacies. The stones are even crafted into jewellery or warming cushions.
In Part 2 we have 3 more day-trip ideas for the Pielachtal.
Let us know what you think!
This review is purely my own personal impression and experience. I was not asked by the hotel to write this, nor was I paid to do so. Our stay was simply so relaxing, dog-friendly and delicious that I didn't want to keep it to myself.
