Rohrer Sattel

The Rohrer Sattel is a mountain pass in the Lower Austrian Pre-Alps, linking the Zellenbach valley to the Piesting valley. It sits at 864 metres above sea level and connects the villages of Rohr im Gebirge and Gutenstein. The pass carries the Gutensteiner Straße (B21), a road with a maximum gradient of eight per cent. It is the lowest crossing between the 1,041-metre Haberkogel to the north and the 974-metre Hochkogel to the southwest. The road over the pass was only built in the 1960s, replacing an older route that used the Haselrast pass, about 100 metres lower. On both sides of the saddle, streams named Zellenbach flow away. The eastern Gutensteiner Zellenbach feeds the Piesting, while the western Rohrer Zellenbach joins the Schwarza. The stream from the pass itself is officially called Mausgraben, yet historically the sources of the Schwarza were believed to lie here. Visitors cross a quiet upland landscape where beech and spruce woods cover the slopes. The road winds through open meadows and pastures dotted with farm buildings. On clear days the view stretches across the Piesting valley to the Schneeberg massif in the north. The pass offers a gentle climb compared with steeper Alpine routes, making it a favoured route for cyclists and drivers alike.