But where does the path lead us? Will it take us even deeper into the forest? Or will it lead us out of it? What lies over the the next ridge? Will the path lead us up the mountain before guiding us safely down into the valley below? The path meanders this way and that, up and down, as if it does not know where it is going itself. It does this out of pure modesty, out of respect for nature and out of cautiousness. It is gentle with those who walk it, too. It draws us forwards, both taking its time and giving us time by inviting us to dawdle, to pause and to marvel. It shows us the world and its big little secrets. 

The meaning of walking is not only measured by where it leads us. The very act of walking is meaningful in itself, it energises body and mind, and gives direction to the lost and confused. Walking changes those who walk. It helps us see that the path of life is not something irrevocable but part of an ongoing process, a kind of pilgrimage to happiness and contentment. We may not always know exactly where it is taking us, but it gets us there in the end.

The path on the coin’s reverse winds its way up to the picturesque Falkenstein church, which is built into the rock in woodland near St Wolfgang in the Salzkammergut region of central Austria. The coats of arms of the nine federal provinces of Austria feature on the coin’s obverse and give the coin its nine-sided shape.