Losenstein is a small village in the south of

Upper Austria Upper Austria ( ; ; ) is one of the nine States of Austria, states of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg (state), Salzbur ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

. About 1,700 inhabitants call Losenstein their home. It lies in the southernmost quarter of Upper Austria called "Traunviertel". Its spatial dimension from North to South is 8,1 km, from West to East 4,5 km. 45,9% of its area are covered by forests, another 39,7% are used for agricultural purposes. The closest city of administrative importance is Steyr, which is 20 km to North. It can be accessed via the "B-109 Eisenbundesstrasse" or by train. Losenstein is the birthplace of the famous dialect poet

Anton Schosser Anton Schosser (7 June 1801 – 26 July 1849) was an Austrian poet, writing poems in Upper Austrian dialect. Life Schosser was born in Stiedelsbach, near Losenstein in Upper Austria, son of a nailmaker. He was a weak child, and was considered unl ...

(1801–1849). One of his most known songs is the Erzherzog-Johann-Jodler ''"Wo i geh und steh"''. The village is sometimes referred to as the gem of the Enns-valley ("Die Perle des Ennstales"). The river Enns divides the village and can be crossed on a bridge, connecting the village centre with the residential areas. The highest mountain is called "Schieferstein" and is located in the south-east of the village.

Ruins of Losenstein

The ruins of the former

castle of Losenstein Losenstein Castle or Burg Losenstein is a castle ruin in Upper Austria. It rises above the village of Losenstein on a rock (Castle Rock), composed of dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is one of the largest and oldest ruins of Upper Austria. Built i ...

originate in the 12th century. They used to be one of the biggest and oldest castles of Upper Austria. The rock on which the ruins sit lies at the very core of the village center. The former ski resort "Hohe Dirn", which is located at the border of Losenstein and "Reichraming" at the south-west of the village, is easily accessible by a well-maintained road (10min from the village centre). It is well known for its variety of leisure activities in the summer and winter. The recent development policies were focused on attracting highly-technical industrial and chemical firms, providing sophisticated job opportunities for inhabitants and commuters from nearby villages.

References

External links

Local information (in German)
* Link to "Burgruine Losenstein", the medieval ruin omnipresent above the village (in German)
Ski Resort Hohe Dirn (in German)
* Digital Map using GIS software provided by the State-Administration of Upper-Austria (in German) Cities and towns in Steyr-Land District {{UpperAustria-geo-stub