Hochbuchberg via Grünburger Hütte

Description:
The popular local mountain Hochbuchberg (1,273 m) is a popular vantage point all year round thanks to the Grünburger Hütte.

Cross the Roda valley to the saddle of the Messerer Gscheid and continue to the right on the path leading away in the direction of the Grünburger Hütte. Through the forest slope of the Krennkogel and across a meadow we reach another saddle and the Hochbuchber is reached on the trail branching off to the left, which winds its way up through the steep forest slope to the cross.

After the descent, turn left to the Grünburger Hütte. To the starting point, continue in the same direction, soon turn right onto a narrower trail and across a forest path and meadow.

Trail number: 15, 404/409, 24, 480, 16

Directions:
The Hochbuchberg in the south of Steinbach an der Steyr is a well-known and - thanks to the Grünburger Hütte - popular viewpoint all year round.

We reach it by walking uphill from the Seebacher car park on the goods road, past the Freidhager farm and a chapel. At the following road split, go straight ahead on hiking trail no. 15 next to the stream to a pasture. Along the edge of the forest, cross two forest roads and up to the saddle of the Messerer Gscheid.

As the name suggests, the Messerer traders from Steinbach and Trattenbach were once on the move here, selling their spicy wares in half of Europe. From there we hike along the path leading away to the right, a section of the long-distance hiking trails 404 and 409, towards the Grünburger Hütte. Through the forest slope of the Krennkogel and across a meadow we reach another saddle. Turn right over the Sulzboden (small hut) up to the wide depression below the Hochbuchberg.

We reach its summit on the trail branching off to the left, which winds up through the steep forest slope to the cross (beautiful view from the lowlands to the Tote Gebirge). Descend along the same route. In the hollow at the foot of the mountain, however, we now turn left to descend on the signposted path next to the large meadow and to the right through a wooded area to the Grünburger Hütte.

The very cosy and perfectly managed refuge was built in 1926/27; at the focal point of several access paths, it is still one of the most popular excursion destinations in the region. After the stop for refreshments, we descend in the same direction into the forest on trail no. 480. There, after about 10 minutes, we branch off to the right onto the narrower trail no. 16, which descends through the slope to a forest path and further across meadows to the starting point.