Styrian Wine Country Cycling Route - Variant Lipizzanerheimat

Accessible by public transport

Public bus (within 15 minutes walking distance from starting point)

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

The tour in numbers

Level of difficulty medium

Route 72,0 km

Time 6:00 h

Uphill 741 hm

Downhill 753 hm

Highest point 802 m

This variant on the Styrian Wine Country Cycling Tour takes us from the wine-growing town of Stainz in Schilcherland with the castle of the same name, which is famous far beyond the borders, to the Lipizzaner homeland with the Lipizzaner stud farm of Piber.

When you travel from Schilcherland to the Lipizzanerheimat, there are many indications that, in addition to wine, there will also be a lot of culture and the world-famous Lipizzaner horses with their home in Piber as companions on the tour. The historic Stainz Castle sits enthroned on the southern foothills of the Rosenkogel in Stainz, surrounded by the castle's own vineyards and orchards. The castle was built in 1229 as an Augustinian canons' monastery and is a magnificent complex in Renaissance and Baroque style, which is particularly evident in the church of St. Catherine with its magnificent stuccowork. In 1784 the canons' monastery was secularised by Emperor Josef II and bought by Archduke Johann in 1840. On our cycle tour, however, we also reach the Lipizzaner Stud Piber, which is the only state stud in Austria with the task of breeding those Lipizzaner stallions that perform at the world-famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna.

Best season

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

More information

Detailed information on how to get to Stainz can be found here.

In Stainz, numerous car parks are available; however, please note the short-stay parking zones in the town centre.

From Stainz, this tour takes you to Ligist on the Schilcher Tour Nord, a beautiful circular tour through the north of Schilcherland. Here, you will also find the Schlosshof Ligist with an interesting local history museum and a beautiful arcaded courtyard. We cross Ligist and arrive at Krottendorf-Gaisfeld, where the next few kilometres to Piber is now identical with the Kainachtalradweg R14 and the Lipizzaner Tour. The route takes us past the leisure island of Piberstein with its beautiful bathing lake and the golf course of the GC Erzherzog Johann, to finally enter Maria Lankowitz with its pilgrimage church.

The route continues in the direction of Köflach with the Therme Nova, an ideal place of relaxation for the perhaps somewhat tired cyclists' calves. Then it's on to the Lipizzaner stud farm in Piber, which of course demands a stopover. From Piber, we head east to Bärnbach, where another inviting stop awaits us with the Barbara Church designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser. We cycle through the centre of Bärnbach in a large loop and then head south to Voitsberg.

We now follow the Kainachtalradweg R14 to get back to the roundabout at Krottenfeld-Gaisfeld. For the next two kilometres we now cycle the same route as on our outward journey to Köflach/Bärnbach. In Krottendorf, our Kainachtal cycle path R14 branches off to the right and we reach Mosskirchen, where the Hochstrasser distillery awaits us. The rest of the route takes us to Lieboch, where we rejoin the main route of the Styrian Wine Country Cycling Tour.

Emergency assistance number: 144

Tips when reporting an emergency – Answer these six WH questions: What happened? How many people are injured? Where did the accident happen (are there GPS coordinates)? Who is reporting the incident (callback number)? When did the accident happen? What is the weather like at the site of the incident?

The right bike: a touring bike or city bike. Racing bikes are not recommended. Breakdowns can occur ‒ and they rarely happen right outside one of the many service points. That’s why it never hurts to ensure you have a basic kit with you comprising key tools and accessories! It’s sensible to bring a replacement hose and/or repair kit, adjustable spanner, air pump, brake and gear cable and a screwdriver.

Visit to the Lipizzaner Stud Farm Piber, where the oldest cultural horse breed in Europe – the Lipizzaner – has been bred since imperial times, dating back to 1580. The heart of Lipizzaner breeding in Piber is the broodmares and their foals. Each year, around 40 foals are born – not with their famous white coats, but black, grey, or brown. Only in the years that follow do they acquire the characteristic white for which the Lipizzaner are renowned.

In the Thermal & Volcano Region, Eastern Styria, Southern Styria and the GrazAdventure Region, the GenussCard gives you free entry to more than 280 attractions when staying at one of the GenussCard partner accommodations. Many of these exciting destinations – from culinary workshops and artisan producers to swimming lakes and museums – are located right along the Styrian WineCountry Cycle Tour.

Getting there by public transport
ÖBB: Home - ÖBB or Verbundlinie Styria: www.busbahnbim.at

With the BusBahnBim app from Verbundlinie, planning your journey has never been easier. Simply enter a place name, address, stop, or point of interest to get real-time connections for buses, trains, and trams across Austria. The app is free and available for smartphones (Android and iOS) – on Google Play and the App Store.

Steiermark Tourism

Tel. +43 316 4003

info@steiermark.com

www.steiermark.com/en

If you would like to hire a tour operator, simply book with Steiermark Touristik, the official travel agency of Steiermark Tourismus:

Tel. +43 316 4003 450

www.steiermark-touristik.com

The Steiermark Touren app, available free of charge on Google Play and the App Store (Android, iOS), offers detailed first-hand information: brief facts (length, duration, difficulty, ascent and descent/elevation gain, ratings), map, route descriptions, altimeter, compass, peak finder, navigation along the tour. You can also create your own personal lists of favourite tours and sites, store tours and destinations offline, use social media channels, and much more.

Pocket Card "Radwege in der Steiermark" Tel. +43 316 4003 www.steiermark.com

Folder "Weinland Steiermark Radtour" mit Routenbeschreibung, Übersichts- und Detailkarten sowie Ausflugszieletipps und mehr: Steiermark Tourismus, Tel. +43 316 4003 www.steiermark.com

Weinland Steiermark Radtour 1:50.000, Verlag Esterbauer - bikeline Tel. +43 2983 28982 www.esterbauer.com