Gießenbach

The Gießenbach is a small river in Upper Austria’s Perg District. It rises near Sankt Georgen am Walde at about 830 metres above sea level and flows south for 64 square kilometres before joining the Danube between Grein and Sankt Nikola. The stream begins as the Vogelsammühlbach and passes through several villages, marking municipal boundaries along the way. The river is known for its wet meadows and deep gorges, especially the Stillensteinklamm, a narrow ravine that has been used as a hiking trail since the 19th century. Floods have damaged the path many times, and it now forms part of the Donausteig long-distance trail. Power plants and old mills line the watercourse, while timber rafting once took place here in the early 1800s. Visitors find quiet valleys, rushing water in the gorges, and the high seven-arched viaduct of the Donauuferbahn where the valley opens near the Danube. The freshwater pearl mussel still lives in the clean waters, and the cycle path along the Danube leads straight to the entrance of the Stillensteinklamm.