A round around the Hubertussee
The idyllically situated Hubertussee in the Walster River, not far from Mariazell, provides us with such a shared, easy hiking experience. The circular hiking trail, which is about an hour's walk long and barrier-free, begins at a small dam (beware, limited parking!) in the valley of the white Walster.
From Mariazell, a narrow but well-maintained road leads downhill from Kreuzberg, keeping to the left (follow the sign) through the Rechengraben in about 6 kilometers to this very dam wall. Now cross this wall and through a short tunnel always follow the well recognizable path (may also be driven on, but is little frequented by vehicles here).
Soon we reach the small, somewhat elevated Bruder Klaus church, which invites us to take a short break. Now follow the wide path further and after about 25 minutes of walking cross the tributary of the Hubertussee. Now we return to the starting point on the other side of the lake. Oh yes, after crossing the tributary, you can reach the well-known inn "Wuchtlwirtin" in 10 - 15 minutes on foot, keeping to the left.
In the valley of the Schwarzwalster
For those who want to take a more athletic approach, we recommend the longer and somewhat more strenuous variant through the idyllic valley of the Schwarzwalster.
We also start at the dam wall, but hike about 200m out of the valley to a bridge, which takes us to a forest path on the right. We follow this path, at first through a wide, but then increasingly narrower valley, accompanied by the gentle ripple of the ever-present Schwarzwalsterbach stream. After about 20 minutes the path divides. We keep slightly to the right (signpost) in the direction of Fadental. Through a narrow but short and easy to walk rocky gorge we continue, slightly uphill, until we reach the Fadental. Now keep to the right again, following a bend downhill to the so-called Schnittlermoos. Now always walking in a southerly direction, until suddenly the Hubertussee and the Bruder Klaus church appear in front of us again. At the church, either keep to the right and return to the dam wall or, as a bonus, keep to the left around Lake Hubertus and return to the starting point.
Last but not least, as a personal tip, we recommend a stop at Mariazell's Hautplatz. Coffee (or a beer) and cake in the face of the Mariazell Basilica - that can be something!