Actually, I just wanted to go out for a nice, relaxing lunch.
But when all your favorite restaurants are somewhere up in the mountains – and you have the “wrong” kind of friends – you have to get creative.
My suggestion was: take an early train to Puchberg, then a small Schneeberg crossing – with coffee at the Waldschlössl as the final stop. I only casually mentioned that we might grab something to eat along the way. Anyway, it worked – and I had company. The fact that we’d have to walk a bit before and after lunch didn’t bother me. After all, there’s plenty of time to chat while walking or running. Especially with friends who, luckily, had already “warmed up” with 25–35 km the day before (thanks, WRU* 😉).
(*The WRU, or Wien Rundumadum, is a running race in Vienna where participants circle the city over a distance of about 130 kilometers alone or in team.)
The weather forecast, luckily, was wrong. Or maybe not completely – it didn’t rain, at least. Instead, we got snow, fog, and a good dose of wind. So no Klosterwappen summit this time, but at least we made it to Krummbachstein. Thirty minutes later, we were already sitting in the Naturfreundehaus Knofeleben – and I had achieved my goal: a cozy lunch in good company.
An hour later, coffee was ready at the Waldschlössl – just in time to check out the new construction site and catch the next train back to Vienna.
It was lovely, fun, and – at least in parts – even cozy. 🏃♀️🏃🏻♀️🏃🏼♀️❄️☕️
Route:
Puchberg – Baumgartnerhütte – Elisabethkapelle – Krummbachstein – Knofeleben – Eng – Waldschlössl
Distance: 20.7 km | Elevation gain: 1,550 m | Duration: about 5 hours (without lunch break)
Pace: trail running – just the way the speedy ladies like it
What was supposed to be a “relaxed” girls’ outing quickly turned into a winter trail-running adventure on the Schneeberg. Between snow, fog, and wind, there was still plenty of time to chat – and, of course, have coffee at the Waldschlössl. ☕️💪