The Quellhütte is located in the center of 3 regions...
Activities in the Salzatal and surrounding regions
The Quellhütte is located in pure seclusion, yet right in the heart of Austria: just an hour's drive away – no matter which direction – you can "experience" the full diversity of Austria's heartland. The border area of the northern Mostviertel region (with the towns of Göstling, Lunz, Scheibbs, and Waidhofen an der Ybbs), the southern region of Upper Styria (with the towns of Aflenz, Mariazell, Neuberg an der Mürz, Thörl, and Turnau), and the western Gesäuse region (with the towns of Admont, Landl, St. Gallen, and Wildalpen) leaves no room for boredom – unless you want it that way. The power of this region comes from nature, which is accessible via nature parks and several lift areas: Dürrenstein-Lassingtal wilderness area, Ötscher-Tormäuer Nature Park, Hochkar, Lackenhof, Gemeindealpe, Bürgeralpe, Annaberg, Niederalpl, and Turnau lift areas, the Gippel, Göller, Schneealpe, Veitsch mountain ranges with the Mürzer Oberland Nature Park, the Styrian Eisenwurzen Nature Park and, in the far west, the Gesäuse National Park.
Get active yourself: choose from a variety of excursion destinations and tours around the Quellhütte
River hiking, mountaineering, fishing, horseback riding, kayaking or rafting, hunting, wildlife watching, swimming in the river, spending a night around a campfire... give yourself space and time to experience the primal. Whether you prefer to tackle your adventures on your own with a map, compass, apps, GPS, and mountain-ready gear, or join organized groups and activities, let the links below inspire you...
... or simply participate: visit events and organized experiences for your inspiration
It doesn't always have to be strenuous or adventurous. There's a dense year-round cultural and event program that's popular with locals and tourists alike. And there are "organized experiences" where you can learn, marvel, or participate without having to do much organizing yourself. For some, it's simply a "bad weather program," for others, the deeper meaning of vacation: to be inspired.
Activities in the Mostviertel
Excursion destinations in the Mostviertel
To ensure results are within an hour's drive, the results are filtered for the regions "Traisen-Gölsental," "Eisenstraße," and "Pielachtal" (in the English version, this roughly corresponds to the 50km filter around Gußwerk/Mariazell). You can also filter multiple criteria consecutively by "Type of Destination" (e.g., nature experience, toboggan/roller run, ponds/lakes/springs, water sports, animal experience, etc.) and "Leisure and Sports" (e.g., swimming area/lake, cable car/chairlift, outdoor pool, indoor pool, horseback riding, climbing, ski resort/lift, water sports, etc.). If you activate "Update location," you will receive the results sorted by distance. To better estimate distances, you can also display your filtered results on the map and then switch back to the list view.
Tours in the Mostviertel
A pre-selection of summer activities (e.g., hiking & mountain tours) takes you to further topic groups, or you can scroll to the bottom of the page and narrow down your search criteria. Filtering by region isn't possible, which is why many results come from more distant areas. The English version is limited to hiking; for other activities, you'd better switch to the German version.
Hiking routes in the Ötscher/Tormäuer Nature Park
Events and organized experiences in the Mostviertel
This website is only available in German. To ensure results are within an hour's drive, we filter by the regions "Eisenstraße," "Pielachtal," and "Traisen-Gölsental" and sort by date. Under "Advanced Search," you can also filter by your vacation time ("date"), for example, or separate organized experiences (categories: guided tour/tour, garden/nature, culinary/wine, course/education, spot/exercise) from traditional cultural events.
Interactive map of the Mostviertel
If you're already familiar with the local geography, the interactive map is the best way to plan your activities. In addition to all the excursion destinations, you'll also find everything you need on a daily basis under "Infrastructure" (ATM, gas station, pharmacy, etc.).
Hikes and excursions in the Dürrenstein/Lassingtal wilderness area
In the middle section of the page, you can filter through over 50 hikes in the nature park (the English version only contains the "main attractions" -> if you don't need explanatory text, switch to the German version). For orientation, it's useful to display the results on a map!
This page is only available in German. Events targeted at families at the "Haus der Wildnis" can also be found under "Events in the Mostviertel." There are several approved hiking trails that you can explore on your own (see "Approved Hiking Trails"). This link provides a program for guided excursions for different target groups.
Activities in Upper Styria
Excursion destinations in Upper Styria
Here you'll find everything that's worth seeing and well-connected to tourism. To stay within an hour's drive, "Filter by Region" filters for Aflenz, Mariazell, Neuberg an der Mürz, Thörl, Turnau, and possibly Mürzzuschlag. Below that, you can also filter by your interests. The search only starts when you click "Filter."
Tour list Upper Styria
If you want to explore on your own, you can select the "Type of Tour" here and receive results from all over Upper Styria. This isn't always practical if you don't know the region very well: as a trick, you can enter the town or region where you want to explore in the "Keyword Search" field, such as Mariazell, Mürzer Oberland, Gußwerk, Salzatal, Hochschwab, etc.
Events in Upper Styria
Events within an hour's drive are already pre-selected by region/location: "Aflenz", "Mariazell", "Neuberg an der Mürz", "Thörl", or "Turnau". You can further refine your search by date range and keyword (e.g., Advent, concert).
Organized experiences in Upper Styria
Here you'll find some suggestions for "bad weather" activities or special topics. It's not possible to limit the region here.
Activities in the Gesäuse
Excursion destinations in the Gesäuse
Here you'll find a summary of everything considered worth seeing and easily accessible for tourists. I've already narrowed down the destinations within an hour's drive using the "Filter by Region" option (Admont, Landl, St. Gallen, and Wildalpen). You can also filter by opening days, a date range, and your interests using "Keywords." The search only starts when you click "Filter."
Tour list in the Gesäuse
If you want to explore on your own, you can select the "Type of Tour" here and receive results from the entire Gesäuse region. This isn't always practical if you don't know the area very well: as a trick, you can enter the location or region where you want to do your tour in the "Keyword Search" field, such as Wildalpen, Palfau, Landl, Großreifling, etc.
Outdoor providers in the Gesäuse
All outdoor providers at a click – in Wildalpen and Landl, a vibrant scene has developed over the past 20 years, channeling the once boisterous crowds into a more controlled environment. Here, you can get your adrenaline rush under professional supervision.
Events in the Gesäuse
Narrow down your search by date (e.g., your vacation period). For the region, select places reachable within an hour's drive ("Admont," "Landl," "St. Gallen," and "Wildalpen"). Use "keywords" to refine your search if you already have a specific idea in mind: e.g., national park, rafting, etc.
Organized experiences in the Gesäuse
The button allows you to refine your search by date (e.g., your vacation dates) and region (I've already pre-selected the towns "Admont," "Landl," "St. Gallen," and "Wildalpen," all reachable within one hour). You can also filter for a specific "experience" by name if you already know the name. One of my personal highlights here: You can book the Wildalpen forest sauna!
Overview of experiences in the Eisenwurzen Nature Park
The "Styrian Eisenwurzen" Nature Park covers the eastern part of the "Gesäuse" region. The website provides an overview of nature-based activities and offers many informative brochures for download in the services section.
