Graveltour from Fresenberg to Gaal

Accessible by public transport

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

The tour in numbers

Level of difficulty medium

Route 41,1 km

Time 3:30 h

Uphill 766 hm

Downhill 769 hm

Highest point 963 m

Embark on a scenic gravel bike tour from Fresenberg to Gaal and enjoy unspoiled nature and long, open stretches of trail.

You’ll start your tour in the Fresenberg area and begin by warming up on quiet forest trails. After just a short while, a longer climb begins, taking you steadily upward through dense forests. You’ll mostly be riding on well-maintained gravel roads that allow you to find a steady rhythm.

As you climb, you’ll steadily gain elevation until you finally reach the higher elevations. There, the landscape opens up a bit, and you can enjoy your first impressive views of the surrounding mountains of Upper Styria. These sections are perfect for a short break.

As you continue, you’ll traverse varied terrain featuring gentle undulations, small uphill sections, and flatter stretches. The route remains peaceful and unspoiled throughout, allowing you to fully experience the seclusion of the region around the Gaal.

A particular highlight is the long descent into the valley that follows. It runs along well-maintained forest trails and isn’t too technically challenging, so you can enjoy it at a steady pace and have plenty of fun. Here, you can pick up speed again and wrap up the tour in a relaxed manner.

Overall, you can expect a physically demanding but scenically stunning gravel ride with over 700 meters of elevation gain. This route is especially suited for you if you love long climbs and want to be rewarded with peace and quiet, nature, and beautiful views.

Best season

January

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More information

Coming from Leoben, take the S 6 Semmering Expressway toward St. Michael, and at the St. Michael interchange, switch to the S 36 Murtal Expressway toward Knittelfeld. Take the Knittelfeld Wet / St. Marein exit and continue toward St. Marein and Prankh.

Start in Prankh and head toward Fresenberg, following wide forest trails to warm up. Follow Fressenbergstraße and turn right at the intersection onto Dürnbergweg. Follow the path to the intersection, then turn left onto Sonnwenddorfstraße, which leads into Benediktstraße. Once you reach the abbey, continue along Seckauerstraße and stay on Seckauerstraße at the Gradenstraße fork. Follow the road until you reach the intersection with Gaalerstraße. Turn right there toward Bischoffeld. In Ingering II, at Gasthof Kaiser, turn left and follow Schattenberg. Passing the Lorettohof, you’ll reach Gaalerstraße again. Follow the country road for a bit until you reach the junction with Gradenstraße. There’s a bus stop here. Turn left onto Gradenstraße. At the fork, turn right onto Scheitzenweg. Note: Expect another uphill section here. At the Alpeneventhalle, Scheitzenweg joins Hammerbergstraße. At the fork, take Tremmelbergstraße to the right, which leads you to the Binderhof. At Neuhofen, continue right on the forest road, ride through a residential area, and continue down the forest road to Kobenz. The Hoftaltrail, Austria’s first barrier-free trail, which also ends in Kobenz, runs along this route. Follow the road past Gasthaus Rainer, take the second exit at the roundabout, and then turn left onto Leisingbichlweg. Turn to the left onto Fenscherstraße and follow the street to your starting point.

You should bring plenty of water and snacks, as there are hardly any places to stop for refreshments along the route. Watch out for slippery gravel sections in wet conditions.
Offline navigation is recommended, as you’ll be traveling through remote areas. If you’re riding an e-bike, be sure to manage your battery power carefully.

It is generally possible to travel to Prankh by public transport. For more information, visit BusBahnBim Routenplaner