Pöndorf: Morainic Landscape and Border History

Pöndorf combines a hilly, forest-rich landscape with marked hiking trails and a history shaped by the Austrian-Bavarian border. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay in the municipality, nature and historic sites may offer different reasons to choose this destination.

Morainic Landscape, Forests and Hiking Trails

The Pöndorferland is characterised by a high-lying morainic landscape formed by glacial debris, accumulations and deposits from the Ice Age. The terrain thus bears traces of its glacial origins, while forests and hills also define the landscape today.

Pöndorf is in the Vöcklatal region, by the Kobernaußerwald and close to the Salzkammergut lakes. The hilly, forest-rich landscape offers views as far as the Dachstein. Pöndorf therefore combines a specific regional setting with far-reaching views: the morainic terrain tells the story of how the land was formed, while the view as far as the Dachstein reveals another side of the surrounding area.

The extensive forest area is particularly well suited to hiking on marked trails. If you enjoy exploring on foot, this is a clear point to consider when planning your trip. Forests and hiking trails go hand in hand here; the historic border sites offer a very different way to discover the municipality.

Border History in Stone

The Landgraben recalls the former border: from 1437 to 1779, it served for 342 years as the boundary between Austria and Bavaria. All 26 boundary stones bear the initials GF for Grafschaft Frankenburg on the Austrian side and LF for Landgericht Friedburg on the Bavarian side. The initials make both historic names immediately legible on the stones.

St. Maximilian’s parish church in Pöndorf also preserves a reminder of this division. It still has two entrances, recalling the former separation by the Landgraben. The border is reflected not only in its historic duration and the boundary markers, but also in a feature of the church’s architecture.

The Grafenstein is the southernmost and most important of the 25 Austrian-Bavarian boundary stones still standing today on the present municipal boundary between Waldzell and Redleiten, Frankenburg, Fornach and Pöndorf. The Grafenstein monument is located where the municipalities of Fornach, Pöndorf and Waldzell meet. There is an important access restriction: the site can only be reached via closed forestry roads.

Chapels in the Countryside and Village

The Heilig-Bründl Chapel stands in a field between Bergham and Forstern, in the direction of the Landgraben. A small spring flows right next to the chapel, where you can refresh yourself with fresh spring water. Here, the chapel and spring are set amid open fields, with a connection to the Landgraben.

The Mattheisen Chapel, by contrast, is on the edge of the village of Pading. From there, you can look across the fields to Forstern and the surrounding villages. The two chapels are distinguished by their surroundings: the Heilig-Bründl Chapel is associated with the fields and the direction of the Landgraben, while the Mattheisen Chapel is associated with the edge of the village and views across the fields.

Local Tradition and Farm-Gate Sales

First Communion is celebrated in Pöndorf every year on Ascension Day. If you would like to take this tradition into account when planning your trip, check the date for your travel year: the celebration is tied to Ascension Day, so it falls on a different date each year.

The local offering also includes farm-gate sales of organically grown agricultural products. Together with the hiking trails, border monuments and chapels, this paints a picture of Pöndorf that encompasses nature, history and agriculture.

Discover more destinations: Puchkirchen am Trattberg, Straß im Attergau, Neukirchen an der Vöckla, Vöcklamarkt, Oberhofen am Irrsee, Rutzenham, Seewalchen am Attersee, Schörfling am Attersee.

Go to the overview of destinations: Vöcklabruck.