The parish church and several hiking trails give a stay in Oberaurach two distinct focal points: sacred art and routes with their own individual stops. For your planning, it is worth considering them separately. The church is primarily of interest for its art history; for the hikes, you can use the starting points, farms, chapels and other destinations mentioned as a guide.

Parish Church: Rupert and Late Gothic Art

The parish church in Oberaurach was dedicated to Saint Rupert in 1427. Its exterior frescoes date from around 1440 and depict seven scenes: the Agony in the Garden, the Flagellation, the Crowning with Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, the Crucifixion, the Lamentation and the Resurrection. The sequence thus ranges from scenes of the Passion to the Resurrection. Inside is a Late Gothic statue of Saint Rupert dating from 1480.

The church’s dedication and the statue refer to the same saint, while the frescoes form a narrative sequence. The parish church’s art history therefore brings different forms together: a depiction of a saint and a cycle comprising several scenes. If you would also like to include historic art in your plans for a stay in Oberaurach, the frescoes and the statue of Rupert offer specific subjects to focus your interest on.

Hiking Routes with Different Stops

The Sonnberg Loop starts at Oberaurach Church. It runs via the Hallerwirt, Hof Filzen and Hof Bachern towards the Bichlalm lift valley station/Bichlhof, and continues to Unteraurach and Oberaurach. The church as a starting point and the farms mentioned along the way distinguish this route from the others. Terrain and seasonal conditions may vary; take them into account when planning.

The Bischof Tour passes through Oberaurach, by the hereditary farms and on to the wildlife park. Unlike the Sonnberg Loop, it names the hereditary farms and the wildlife park as key points. You can therefore distinguish the two routes by their described stops: one starts at the church and passes several farms, while the other goes by the hereditary farms to the wildlife park. Alpine weather and trail conditions may be a factor on the Bischof Tour.

The Kochau Route starts at the Aurach hiking information point. It runs via Oberaurach, Wald Chapel, Kochau, Götschen Chapel, Pocher Chapel, Grüntal, Hechenmoos, Traidl and Auwirt to Unteraurach. The sequence of place and chapel names gives the route description its own character. There is also a short, steeper path that leads directly to a chapel. When weighing up the options mentioned, this path is distinguished from the longer sequences of stops by the explicit note that it is short and has a steeper incline. Winter conditions may affect the hike.

The 3-Course Tour also has a clearly named starting point: the Bichlalm chairlift valley station. From there, the route runs via Bichlalm towards Gebrajoch and Gaisbergsattl, then to the Aurach wildlife park and the Hallerwirt in Oberaurach, before returning to the Bichlalm chairlift valley station. This tour also includes a menu description. Its starting point and return to the valley station distinguish it from the Sonnberg Loop, which starts at the church. Restaurant opening hours may vary; if you plan to visit the Hallerwirt, check the hours in advance.

For a day of hiking, take into account the conditions for your chosen route: terrain and season may matter on the Sonnberg Loop, alpine weather and trail conditions on the Bischof Tour, and winter conditions on the Kochau Route. This lets you make your choice based on the route features actually described, rather than treating all the trails as equivalent options.

For the broader travel overview: Aurach Bei Kitzbühel.