Mariazeller Gründerweg - Etappe 2

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

The tour in numbers

Level of difficulty challenging

Route 34,1 km

Time 12:00 h

Uphill 1357 hm

Downhill 1438 hm

Highest point 1800 m

The Mariazell Pilgrimage Route stretches over 192 kilometres and leads from St. Lambrecht Abbey in Murau, through the Murtal and the region Erzberg Leoben to the final destination of Mariazell in Hochsteiermark. On a total of 7 stages, on foot you discover devotional places of strength in the green heart of Styria. Reversed, the Pilgrim’s Trail from Mariazell to St. Lambrecht can be completed as a part of the famous Romea Strata, with Rome as the end of the journey.

The second stage of the Mariazell Founders' Trail leads from Oberzeiring via the Sommertörl to Gaal and on to Seckau. Here you can marvel at several sights and churches that cross your pilgrimage route. Hanfelden Castle leaves its historical mark, the Loretto Chapel on the Rosenkogel invites you to linger and the imposing abbey in Seckau illuminates the end of this stage.

Best season

January

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More information

We leave Oberzeiring via Franz-Josef-Straße and follow a small road to Unterzeiring, pass Hanfelden Castle and reach St. Oswald via the main road. We follow the Riedelweg (towards Rosenkogel) steeply uphill to the Ruder Sattel and after almost 1,000 strenuous metres of ascent we reach the path coming from Sommertörl to the Loretto pilgrimage chapel. The detour to the Rosenkogel at 1,918 metres takes about a quarter of an hour, a little extra effort that is worth it for the fantastic view and peaceful atmosphere. From here you can also descend directly to the Sommertörl. We now follow the hiking trail 988/998 slightly uphill to the Wildinger Höhe (watch out for game fences: observe hunting restrictions!) via the Schöntalhöhe to the Dirnberghöhe. Keep left here and follow the ridge over the Strasswaldhöhe and Eisenbacherhöhe to the Gaaler Höhe. Several hiking trails intersect here: we turn left onto trail no. 908 and hike down to Ingering Il. There we reach path no. 902, which leads us in an easterly direction, first along the Ingeringbach stream, then across meadows and fields to the hamlet of Moar, where we cross the main road. We continue straight ahead on a side road to Seckau.

Oberzeiring is easily accessible by bus, e.g. from Judenburg with line 871 or from Pöls with line 846 You can find more information at ÖBB Scotty - ÖBB (oebb.at)

There are refreshment stops along this long section of the route.