Scharten: Cherry Blossom Trail, Nature Park and Historic Churches

Scharten combines the hilly landscape on the southern edge of the Eferding Basin with special nature experiences, regional culinary culture and a remarkable church history. In spring, the blossoms of countless cherry, pear and apple trees transform the Orchard-Hill Country into a white sea of blossoms. Those looking for a time of year with plenty of scenery and outdoor activity will find inspiration here, as will travellers who want to discover historic places and regional traditions.

Orchard-Hill Country and Cherry Blossom Trail

The Orchard-Hill Country Nature Park is a 26 km² protected landscape area in the municipalities of Scharten and St. Marienkirchen an der Polsenz. It was designated in 2005 to preserve and further develop the cultural landscape characteristic of the Upper Austrian Alpine foothills. This combination of a landscape shaped by fruit growing and gently rolling hills gives Scharten its distinctive character.

In spring, the blossoms are especially inviting for hiking or cycling. The Cherry Blossom Trail is signposted in both directions, making it easy to incorporate into your personal day plan. During the blossom season, inns, snack stations and fruit farms around the Cherry Blossom Trail offer visitors regional specialities. This allows a day in the countryside to be complemented by a regional break without having to plan the nature experience and culinary impressions separately.

Active Trails with Different Focuses

For a shorter active route, the Schartner Wanderfit circular trail is a good option. It is 3.5 km long and includes six stations with a total of nine pieces of equipment. The Schartner Wanderfit fitness trail begins in the centre of Scharten at the Nature Park Primary School; the exercises and stations are well signposted. If you want to combine different preferences within your travel group, you can plan such an exercise trail as a separate item on your itinerary alongside a more leisurely exploration of the landscape.

Another special trail is the Bee Experience Trail on the Cherry Blossom Trail in Hochscharten/Wolfsgrub. It was redesigned in spring 2015 and includes 18 information panels. Topics include the life cycle of the worker bee, honey production and pollination. The stations provide an additional natural-history perspective on the fruit blossom and offer topics for conversation along the way.

Pilgrimage and the History of Tolerance

Scharten is also shaped by its churches. The pilgrimage church of Maria Scharten is first documented in a deed dated 1 January 1400. Construction of the present church began in 1506 and was completed in 1632. The destination of the pilgrimage is a crowned statue of the Virgin Mary holding the crowned infant Jesus. Alongside its landscape, this gives the town a religious and historical point of reference.

The Protestant Tolerance Church originated from a wooden prayer house built in 1782, which was the first Tolerance prayer house in Upper Austria. This first wooden building was followed by a masonry prayer house in 1819. The tower was built in 1900, and the conversion into a Tolerance Church was completed in 1911. Those interested in regional architectural and religious history can discover different historical lines of development in Scharten.

Scharten as a Starting Point for Planning Your Trip

When looking for a holiday apartment in Scharten, it helps to define the focus you want for your trip. During the blossom season, the emphasis is on the landscape, cycling, hiking and regional specialities. The Schartner Wanderfit and the Bee Experience Trail offer different focuses: the former is about exercise, while the latter centres on bees, pollination and honey production. Complement these nature experiences with the pilgrimage church of Maria Scharten or the Protestant Tolerance Church, and you have a varied day plan combining landscape, activity and history.

Scharten can be reached from Wels or Eferding by car via the B 134. You can take this route into account when choosing your accommodation and planning your excursions. What matters is less a uniform type of holiday than whether you want to structure your stay primarily around the fruit blossom, active trails, historic churches or a combination of these themes.

More Local Pages

If you would like to look at other places in this selection in addition to Scharten, you can go directly to Aschach An Der Donau, Hartkirchen, Stroheim, Fraham, Haibach Ob Der Donau, Sankt Marienkirchen An Der Polsenz, Hinzenbach or Eferding.

To the higher-level travel overview: Eferding.