9 Remarkable Places of Power in Austria

At around 1,200 metres above sea level, the Tschengla plateau in the Brandnertal in Vorarlberg holds several stone circles and stone alignments. They were laid out in their present form in 2002, when glacial boulders lying on the plateau were excavated and re-erected. Whether the arrangement goes back to prehistoric structures is disputed, and archaeological evidence has not been established. Four information boards on site set out the circles and their interpretation, each pointing along a given stone towards a prominent feature on the horizon.

In the Kufsteinerland region of Tirol, the 'Blaue Quelle' (Blue Spring) is a natural phenomenon that visitors seek out as a place of power. In a small hollow in the valley at Erl, an average of around 700 litres of drinking water per second rises from the ground. At its deepest point the spring is about 4.5 metres deep, and swimming is not permitted.

The play of colour in the water shifts with the light and the reflections. Trees, meadows and the algae-covered bed are mirrored in different shades of green, while elsewhere the water shimmers pale turquoise. And beneath horse chestnuts, beeches, oaks, limes and birches, you can hear the spring rippling.

High above Kufstein in Tirol's Kufsteinerland region, the Himmelschauen place of power sits on the Gamskogel. A spiral bench made of larch wood is designed for "Himmelschauen" – sky-gazing, a form of meditation in which the gaze is deliberately turned upwards. All around, the view reaches across the Kaisertal valley and the peaks of the Kaisergebirge.

The site can be combined with a walk:

• Legend trail - Brentenjoch tour (medium, 3 hrs)

• Kaiserlift tour tip - Steinbergalm (medium, 3 hrs 15 min)

To make the ascent easier, you can use the Kaiserlift (operating 1 May - 1 November).

The Krimml Waterfalls in the SalzburgerLand drop a total of 380 metres over three tiers. The water breaks into fine spray, and the roar can be heard from a distance. The falls lie in the Hohe Tauern National Park region and, with their great drop, are among the region's most striking natural features.

For a closer look, follow the 4.15-kilometre Wasserfallweg (waterfall trail). It is about 10 to 15 minutes on foot from the car park to the lowest fall; from there the path climbs 431 metres past numerous viewpoints to the uppermost fall.

The Mirnock in the Nockberge range on the eastern shore of Lake Millstatt in Carinthia is regarded as a place of power and is also known as the "Weltenberg", or world mountain. The name is linked to stories about so-called geomantic lines on the mountain. The Mirnock is also the setting for the legend of the Mirnock giant, who is said to have brought the summit crashing down – which, so the story goes, is how the mountain came by its gentle dome.

The 3.1-kilometre Slow Trail Mirnock runs along the mountain's slopes. The forest walk, with 160 metres of ascent, starts at the Alpengasthof Bergfried and leads to several viewpoints looking out over Lake Millstatt and the surrounding mountains. One highlight is the Sternenbalkon, or "star balcony", a platform especially popular at sunset. From the Slow Trail, the walk can be extended towards the Mirnock summit.

A lake that comes and goes with the seasons, and is regarded as a special place of power in Styria: only when the snow melts in the surrounding mountains does the Grüner See (Green Lake) at Tragöß-Sankt Katharein begin to fill in spring. The water can reach a depth of up to ten metres, and walking paths, meadows, benches and a bridge then lie beneath the surface for part of the year.

Depending on the water level and the light, the lake shimmers from turquoise-blue to green. Over the course of the summer the level drops again, and by autumn and winter the lake has almost disappeared. A path runs right around the Grüner See; bathing and swimming are not permitted.

The great oak in Bad Blumau in Styria is said to be around 1,000 years old. Its trunk measures 8.75 metres in circumference – it takes seven adults, hand in hand, to reach around it. Locally, the tree is affectionately known as the "dicke Oachn", the fat oak.

At around 30 metres tall, with a crown some 50 metres across, the oak can be spotted from a long way off. Its age and unusual shape are part of the reason it is regarded as a place of power.

The Kraftweg Maria Laach in Lower Austria leads through the woodland of the Jauerling-Wachau Nature Park. It starts at the old drinking fountain on the market square of Maria Laach, which lies at 591 metres above sea level; from there the forest path passes eleven stations, among them a sound station, a terrace path and a stone gate.

At the end, the route returns to Maria Laach and its Gothic pilgrimage church, which is known as a place of power. In this way the Kraftweg links the stations out in the landscape with the historic pilgrimage site.

Five unusual rock formations and sites make up the so-called Kraftarena around Groß Gerungs in the Waldviertel region of Lower Austria. One of them is the Kierlingstein, a granite block some six metres long which, because of the way it rests, is also known as a Wackelstein, or logan stone. The Wackelsteinweg leads through the granite landscape of the Waldviertel to another striking logan stone.

The Opferstein stands about three metres high and holds one of the largest rock basins in the Waldviertel. The Weltkugel, or globe, owes its name to its rounded shape: the block measures around seven metres across and weighs about 500 tonnes. At the Klause, a path follows a woodland stream past several rock formations to the Klauskapelle, a chapel originally built as a bathhouse. The Steinpyramide raises questions: when it was built, and for what purpose, remains unexplained. Its circular tiers reach a total height of 6.8 metres.