Mühlbach – Scythe making, music and trails

Mühlbach is a district of Kiefersfelden whose history is revealed in particular through scythe making and music. Hiking and cycling routes also pass through or head towards Mühlbach. This gives you a choice of cultural topics and different ways to stay active when planning your holiday; the wider destination of Kiefersfelden complements them with further regional attractions.

Scythe making and musical tradition

The Sensenschmied-Musikkapelle Mühlbach was founded in 1902 as the works band of the Bayerische und Tiroler Sensen-Union. To this day, it performs at events and concerts in Mühlbach and neighbouring communities, including Oberaudorf and Kiefersfelden. The connection to the scythe industry is also part of the village’s history: over time, scythe production in Mühlbach developed into a thriving industry, with its products exported around the world. Those interested in local music will also encounter a part of Mühlbach’s industrial history.

Cycling and hiking routes with different itineraries

The cycling tour around Oberaudorf heads towards Mühlbach and then climbs a short hill from the Mühlbach fire station up to Oberaudorf. The Kiefersfelden cycling circuit offers a different route: it leads from Kiefersfelden towards Mühlbach and returns along the Inn embankment. For planning purposes, you can compare these two different routes—one continuing on to Oberaudorf, the other returning via the Inn embankment.

Mühlbach is also a stopping point on the Grenzenlos hiking trail. Stage 5 passes through the district on its way to Kiefersfelden. After a short stretch on a cycle path alongside the road, the route continues peacefully through woodland and meadows. There are also other named routes for pilgrims: Kiefersfelden Mühlbach is part of the designated route of the EUREGIO Marien-Weg M1; the Marienwege M5 pilgrimage trail passes through Mühlbach between Oberaudorf and Kiefersfelden. The routes follow different itineraries, so you can use the one that best suits your plans for the day.

Kiefersfelden as a wider destination

The Blaahaus Industrial Museum is located in the wider destination of Kiefersfelden. It covers the region’s history of coal, iron, scythes, marble and cement, as well as folk theatre, musical tradition and community life. Historical originals and other exhibition areas are presented across around 450 m²; the tour is also translated into English. Visitors can also learn about the company history of Bayerische & Tiroler Sensen-Union AG and discover more about the complex craft of scythe making. The museum therefore offers a broader look at Kiefersfelden’s history alongside Mühlbach’s focus on scythe making and its brass band.

Another themed trail in the wider destination is the Kieferer Energy Hiking Trail. The blue section features Kiefersfelden’s smallest, largest and oldest hydroelectric power stations, each of which uses a different technology. Along the trail, you will also find energy snails, hidden canals, power station turbines, weirs, a surge tank, a water playground, Bavaria’s largest waterwheel and the Gießenbachklamm gorge.

The Inn ferry is also part of the wider destination of Kiefersfelden: it connects Kiefersfelden with Ebbs/Eichelwang in Tyrol. Made of larch wood using traditional craftsmanship, the boat is 11 m long and 2.80 m wide, with room for 12 passengers and bicycles. As ferry services may vary, check the current timetable before planning your trip.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Mühlbach, it helps to decide what you would like to focus on during your stay: would you like to centre your holiday on local musical tradition, scythe making and the trails that pass through or head towards Mühlbach? Or would you also like to include the industrial museum, energy hiking trail or ferry in the wider destination of Kiefersfelden?

For the wider travel overview: Kiefersfelden.