Etappe 13: BergZeitReise Kapfenberg - Bruck an der Mur

Kapfenberg is not only home to world market leaders in the field of industry, the city on the Mürz River is also located at the foot of the forested Rennfeld and thus in the middle of a livable natural area. High above the city center is Oberkapfenberg Castle, our next stopover.

From this castle we continue to the Prieselbauer inn and, on a well-marked path, to the small pilgrimage village of Frauenberg with the Maria Rehkogel pilgrimage church.

At the last building of the village we start our ascent to the Rennfeld. A forest trail, which is always easily recognizable, leads us without any problems in about 1 ½ hours to the Rennfeld summit, which is rich in views, or to the shelter located just below the summit.

After a rest in the very cozy hut, we now turn along the hut access road to the marked junction (sign, the trail leaves the road to the right downhill) and hike downhill to the Almgasthaus Hutterer, which is open on weekends. From here we continue, still downhill, to the Himmelwirt inn. From here, our path runs to the historic town center of Bruck an der Mur on a road with little traffic, but unfortunately asphalted.

After about 30 minutes of walking from the Himmelwirt, however, we are at the second largest town center square in Austria, the main square of Bruck an der Mur.

Even though sports play a fundamental role in Kapfenberg's mission statement, the city is known primarily for its resident steel industry. The proximity to the Erzberg mountain and hydroelectric power in sufficient quantities have given rise to several hammer mills here as early as the 15th century. The world reputation as a steel town was mainly established by the Böhler brothers from the end of the 19th century.

The first traces of human settlement in the Kapfenberg area date back to the Neolithic Age, as evidenced by finds in the Rettenwand Cave, for example.

Above the town sits Oberkapfenberg Castle, which was first mentioned in a document in 1173 as "Chaffenberg" Castle and which served the Counts of Stubenberg as their residence and administrative seat for several centuries. Today there is a castle falconry and the annual knights' festival, known beyond the borders of Austria, is a highlight for all medieval fans. At the highest point of the castle hill, on the site of the first castle, stands the Loretto Chapel built in the 17th century .

The castle is the starting point for the Wulfingweg, a panoramic circular trail that follows the footsteps of Wulfing von Stubenberg. He was once lord of Kapfenberg Castle and had become engaged to the daughter of his neighbor, the beautiful Agnes von Pernegg. Her father, however, had already chosen the knight of Kuenring as his son-in-law. When Wulfing returned home from a crusade just in time, he learned that Agnes' father had already hurriedly prepared the wedding of his daughter to the Knight of Kuenring. Thereupon he challenged his rival to a duel on a mountain meadow the next day, and Wulfing, strengthened by Agnes' cut-off braid of hair as a pledge of her loyalty, emerged victorious after a long battle. The mountain meadow where the two knights had "run against each other" was from then on called "Rennfeld". Today, this mountain is popular as a very panoramic mountain.

An ascent path to it leads via Frauenberg. There, in 1354, a chapel was built on the site of a statue of the Virgin Mary, which was expanded in 1489 to become the pilgrimage church of Maria Rehkogel.

With the BusBahnBim app from Verbundlinie, timetable information has never been easier:All bus, train and streetcar connections in Austria can be queried by entering places and/or addresses, stops or important points.The app is available as a free app for smartphones (Android, iOS) - on Google Play and in the App Store.

Several parking possibilities in Kapfenberg, pay attention to short term parking zones.

www.bergzeitreise.at, www.steiermark.com/wandern The Styria Tours app, available for free on Google Play and in the App Store (Android, iOS), offers detailed first-hand information: short facts (length, duration, difficulty, ascent and descent in altitude meters, ratings), map, route descriptions, altimeter, compass, summit finder, navigation along the tour. In addition, you can create your personal favorites list of favorite tours and points, save tours and destinations offline, play on social media channels and more.With the BusBahnBim app from Verbundlinie, timetable information has never been easier: all bus, train and streetcar connections in Austria can be queried by entering locations and/or addresses, stops or important points. The app is available as a free app for smartphones (Android, iOS) - on Google Play and in the App Store.