Etappe 07 RSAT24 Hemma Pilgerweg Route Admont

Starting from the parish church, we cross the market square heading west and turn into Binderweg. Following this road downhill, we reach the main road, cross it, and then keep left, passing the Nepomuk Cross. The marked trail continues southwards along a forest road into the Vellach Valley. After around one kilometre, the route branches off to the left and follows a farm track through the forest to the pilgrimage church of St. Wolfgang, before descending via the Kirchsteig path into the village to the parish church of Grades.

From there, we continue across the lower square towards the primary school, turn left, and follow an old hollow way into the Hundsgraben valley along the Fairy Tale Hiking Trail. Shortly before rejoining the asphalt road, we turn right onto a forest path, which soon becomes a forest road and later joins the country road. After another kilometre along the municipal road, we reach the Ebner Bridge, where we turn towards Straßburg. From here, the trail climbs steadily uphill. After almost two kilometres, we leave the road at a hairpin bend and follow a farm track past the Eberhard farmstead up to the Prekowa pass (1,174 m), which marks the transition from the Metnitz Valley to the Gurk Valley. From Grades to this point, we cover around 7.5 kilometres.

From the Prekowa Cross onwards, the route leads only downhill, bringing us closer to the final destination of the pilgrimage trail with every step. Passing the farmsteads Zwatz, Winkler, Koller, Gerolter, and Golter, as well as the Trübni Cross, we arrive in St. Peter ob Gurk. Around 400 metres after the church, we follow the signs to Gurk, which we reach after almost four kilometres along the road.

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

Marktgemeinde Gurk, Tel. +43 4266 812527, www.mittelkaernten.at

Monika Gschwandner-Elkins: Hemma Pilgerwege, ARGE Pilgern in Kärnten, 9020 Klagenfurt​, Freytag&Berndt und Artaria KG, 2008