As we explore today’s stage, we notice that we’ve already walked a very similar one – on footpaths along the left bank of the Traun – with few options for food and little in the way of sights. The main attraction is therefore the river landscape of the Traun itself, which almost the entire route follows again today. But only almost! Because the town of Marchtrenk has created its own Peace Trail, and it is part of the Jerusalem Way! This slightly longer route than the direct one (optional) along the Traun is recommended for several reasons.

It offers places to eat and, if needed, overnight options, gives us a welcome change from the monotony of today’s stage, and fits thematically with the Peace Trail Jerusalem Way. We pass the Traun power plant and a little later (a good 1 km) we see the Fishermen’s Chapel on the right. Immediately after that we turn left and head north, reach, among other things, the outdoor pool – which invites us for a swim on a hot day – go through the underpass of Federal Road 1, and have reached the centre of the town of Marchtrenk. At the small roundabout we keep left to reach the already visible Catholic parish church. This is also where the first information board on our route along the “Marchtrenk Peace Trail” is located. Using various boards, the pilgrim is informed along the way, among other things, about a huge POW camp from World War I and about key aspects of Marchtrenk being settled by displaced persons after World War II. But first we walk the short stretch back towards the centre, where several places to eat now make our well-deserved break possible.

Refreshed and rested, we now follow the “Marchtrenk Peace Trail” northwards to the Protestant parish church; from there the path basically leads us east again, where we pass several Peace Trail boards, and the route finally takes us southeast to the bank of the Traun, which we then follow further east, i.e. downstream. By the way, the stage destination Hörsching borders directly on the airport grounds of the same name south of the runways.

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