Discover Gaming: Charterhouse, Nature Park and Waterfalls

Gaming combines impressive cultural history with experiences in nature and a wide range of excursion destinations. The Gaming Charterhouse is particularly significant: it was inaugurated in 1342 and secularized in 1782. The Charterhouse Museum presents the history of the monastery and the Carthusian monks, while the Charterhouse Church adds its own cultural accent with its Gothic style. Those planning a trip can combine historical discoveries here with outdoor activities, regional excursions and relaxing days.

Nature in the Ötscherland and striking waterfalls

Gaming is one of the five municipalities across which the Ötscher-Tormäuer Nature Park extends. One of the area's prominent natural attractions is Treffling Waterfall in the Vorderen Tormäuern. There, the Trefflingbach plunges up to 120 m into the Erlauf; Treffling Waterfall is the highest waterfall in the state. From the Eibenboden entrance to the nature park, it takes about an hour to reach it. On weekends in the summer months of July and August, hikes around Treffling Waterfall can be reached by the nature park hiking bus and therefore by public transport.

Schleier Waterfall is another specific excursion destination to include in your travel plans. The 20 m-high waterfall is located on the Fallbach stream about 4 km south of Gaming. In the area around Gaming, a short, somewhat steeper ascent from the Polzbergmühle car park along the Carthusian Trail is followed by a leisurely hike of about 30 minutes to Schleier Waterfall. The different information about the routes helps you choose nature outings according to the distance and the pace you prefer.

Cycle paths, circular trail and special excursions

The 70 km-long Erlauftal Cycle Path leads to Gaming, where its flat section ends at the Charterhouse. In addition, the regional Erlauftal Cycle Path and the Kleine Erlauftal Cycle Path pass through the market town. For a culturally oriented walk, the Gaming Circular Hiking Trail is a good option: It passes over Calvary Hill and by 14 Baroque Stations of the Cross.

Another excursion leads to the Ötscher dripstone cave. It is 575 m long and 54 m deep. During a tour lasting about 45 minutes, you will see thousands-of-years-old stalactites and stalagmites, sinter formations, an underground lake and the Fairy-Tale Hall. The size of the cave and the approximately 45-minute tour make this destination a separate activity within your travel itinerary.

Water, sport and regional insights

For a day of swimming, the Ötscherland outdoor pool in Gaming has a 68 m-long water slide. Bathers can use the beach volleyball court, mini-golf course and table tennis facilities free of charge; there is also a bocce court in front of the pool. The mini-golf course has 12 holes and is located next to the outdoor pool and the tennis center. Depending on the mood of the day, you can combine swimming, ball games and a round of mini-golf.

The farmers' delicacies market in the Gaming town hall arcades offers regional insights. It takes place every other Saturday morning from 08:30 to 11:00. The collection at the Trübenbach Lumberjack Museum focuses on forestry work around the Ötscher. Numerous illustrations and original tools show the work of the lumberjacks, their way of life and everyday family life. Timber rafting on the Erlauf is another focus. The museum also offers a chance to visit the former one-room school in Trübenbach, where the children of forest farmers and lumberjacks were taught until the 1960s.

Those traveling with children can also include the pool, mini-golf and water slide in their plans. For excursions without a car, the nature park hiking bus operates around Treffling Waterfall on summer weekends, and it is possible to combine the trip with the Mariazell Railway.

More local pages for planning your trip: Lackenhof, Wieselburg, Kienberg bei Gaming, Purgstall an der Erlauf, Göstling an der Ybbs, Steinakirchen am Forst, Reinsberg and Großegg.

For the overarching travel overview: Scheibbs.