Geißwand: Relaxing Spring Views at Traunsee

Mykola Morozov · 3 min read · Mar 7, 2026

Duration*

1 hours

Distance

5 km 27 m

Ascent

462 m

Descent

481 m

* Duration is pure net walking time in summer with above average speed.

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To recover from the Hoher Kalmberg (1833 m) hike, I and Pavlo decided to take it easy and do a shorter hike. After a lot of negotiating, I lowered the difficulty level further, and we chose to hike up the Geißwand (872 m) trail.

Stairs leading up from the train station

We took the train to Traunkirchen Ort and started our hike from there. The trail was well-marked and not too steep, making it a nice and relaxing walk. The first section to the bottom of the rocky hill goes through a forest, with moss and flowers covering the ground and the trees. Some small parts were nicely covered in stairs, making the climb even easier.

After the forest trail, the real ascent started. Although we still walked through the forest, the trail under our feet changed from nice packed dirt into stones, loose rocks, dry leaves, tree roots, and mud. Considering our winter shoes were wet from the day before, we took our spare city sneakers for this outing, making slipping a very real threat. Still, we continued up, enjoying the warm weather and meeting tons of other hikers on the route.

Pavlo taking the visitor log book to read at Baalstein (800 m)

When we reached the plateau near the peak, I convinced Pavlo to take a detour to Baalstein (800 m). There are 3 or 4 trails to reach it, some involving climbing, some not. We took the path with a tiny rope-supported climbing section to make it more fun, leaving our backpacks at the base of the rock. I took a stick at the train station to help me with the climb, forgetting to bring it back after the climb. The view from the top was nice, but the trees covered most of the views.

Rope climbing wall on the way to Geißwand (872 m)

Pavlo climbing to the top of Geißwand (872 m)

After going back to the base of the rock, we continued to the Geißwand (872 m) peak. The trail turned into a chain-supported climbing wall, with some overhangs and a few steeper sections. It was fun and a first experience for Pavlo, making it a memorable moment for us.

Cliff visitors enjoying the view, pre-smoking

The view from there was much better, with a clear view of lake Traunsee and the higher mountains in the background. We stayed there for a bit, taking some photos and taking in the sun. Suddenly, someone brought out an electronic cigarette and started vaping, which was an immediate mood killer. We were already uncomfortable with the cigarette and nicotine pouch vending machines everywhere in Austria, even in small villages. This experience just made it worse, and we quickly left the peak to get away from the vape smoke.

View from Geißwand (872 m) towards Traunkirchner Kogel (1575 m)

On the way down, we noticed that most trains skip our initial train station, so we had to take a different path to a bigger station. We approached the lakeside and followed the road to the train station, where we took the train to Gmunden.

Pavlo crossing a cliff drop on the way down

We had a really nice time on this hike, enjoying the views and the warmth. It is very accessible to people of all ages and skill levels, with many children, dogs, and elderly hikers on the trail. Make sure to get shoes with a good profile to not slip on the route!