Stage 04 Hemma Pilgrimage Route Oberwölz-Murau

Passing through the picturesque Hinteregg Gate, we leave Oberwölz and shortly afterwards cross the B75 road before continuing to the Ecce Homo Cross. From there, the partly asphalted and partly gravelled Wölz Cycle Route R17 leads us to the pilgrimage church of Winklern. Continuing towards St. Peter, we pass the historic “Knappsäge” sawmill and follow the main road for around 700 metres before turning left towards the Kerschbaumer farm. The route continues uphill along a country road to Mühltratte, where we turn right and reach the Butterer Cross on the Kammersberg ridge (1,072 m). Keeping left after the cross, we arrive in St. Peter am Kammersberg with its parish church overlooking the village. The walk from Winklern takes just under three hours.

Via the Kirchsteig path, we descend to the lower market square, cross the Katschbach stream at a small bridge, and continue to the Stanglmühle snack station. From here, we follow trail 938/09 (Styrian Circular Hiking Trail, red-white-red markings), initially climbing along a forest road to the Stolzenhütte mountain hut. The trail then continues through alpine meadows and woodland to the summit of the Stolzalpe (1,817 m). From here, there are beautiful views of the mountains of the Mur Valley, although partly obscured by trees. The section between Stolzenhütte and Stolzalpe is steep in places, and the ground can be slippery when wet, requiring sure-footedness.

Descending after around four kilometres, we reach the Stolzalpe Regional Hospital and the Stolzalpe Church. From here, trail 938/909 follows a different route than shown on most hiking maps. Instead of passing the Rahmhube inn on forest trails, the route descends along the road beside the lower hospital buildings and continues via the “Panorama Footpath” to the Käferhube inn. We then continue to the main road, follow it briefly downhill, turn right, and reach the outskirts of Murau via a forest path. Through the outer residential areas, the route follows Mühlenweg, Roseggerstraße, and Schwarzenbergstraße to Schillerplatz in the centre of Murau.

Informations about the whole Hemma Pilgrimage Trail

Accessible by train and bus: detailed information about arriving by ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) can be found at www.oebb.at or on the Verbundlinie Steiermark website www.busbahnbim.at

With Verbundlinie’s BusBahnBim route planner app, planning your journey has never been easier: simply enter towns and/or addresses, stop names or points of interest to check all bus, train and tram connections in Austria. The app is available free of charge for smartphones – on Google Play and in the App Store

Steiermark Tourismus, Tel. +43 316 40030, www.steiermark.com

TV Region Murau, Tel. +43 3532 2720, www.regionmurau.at