Genuss-Schilchern DA - Zirknitz

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

The tour in numbers

Level of difficulty medium

Route 16,1 km

Time 5:00 h

Uphill 570 hm

Downhill 570 hm

Highest point 672 m

St. Stefan ob Stainz - Zirknitz - St. Stefan ob Stainz: You hike through a wonderful landscape of romantic forests and beautiful vineyards. The raccoons at Ofnerpeter wine tavern are a real highlight for the little ones.

At the school center in St. Stefan ob Stainz (Schilcherland parking lot), you not only leave your car behind, but also your everyday life. This tour starts via the old church path to the Krainerhof wine tavern. It continues along the little-used municipal road and through peaceful and invigorating forests. You will pass the farmer's museum and a private brewery invites you to taste its beer. Gaze into the wonderful distance at the HerrgottHö before reaching the small village of Gundersdorf after a few hundred meters. There are several places to stop for refreshments here. You then descend into the Zachgraben, which will win you over with its idyllic scenery and fresh air. You hike slightly uphill to the Ofnerpeter wine tavern - you won't believe it, real raccoons are waiting for you here. The trail continues along ascending forest paths to the highest point. Take a break here and enjoy the magnificent view from the Graz basin to south-eastern Styria.
From here it's downhill to Buschenschank Hackl vlg. Grabentschak, which is hidden in a quiet spot surrounded by vineyards and forests. Your next destination is the village of Grubberg. To get there, you cross a small stream in the forest. You follow the rushing Lemsitzbach stream and walk past a retention basin to St. Stefan ob Stainz. After a short stretch along the municipal road, you reach the main square of St. Stefan and return to the Schilcherland parking lot.

Best season

January

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More information

Coming from Graz via the A9, at the Graz-West junction take the A2 towards Klagenfurt. Take the Lieboch exit and follow the B76 towards Lannach-Deutschlandsberg.

At the school centre in St. Stefan ob Stainz you not only leave your car behind, but also your everyday life. This tour, which impresses with the beauty of the hilly region and its hospitable inhabitants, starts from here via the old church path to the Krainerhof wine tavern. After a first glass of wine to get you in the right mood, the tour continues full of verve along the little-used municipal road and on through the tranquillity and strength-giving forests. Stop here for a while, let the children play in nature and soak up this wonderful moment so that you can live off it for a long time.

Continue on to Adi Strohmeiern's farm museum. Here you will learn everything about the way farming used to be done. Whereas in the past the work was still characterised by hard manual labour, technical progress has made things easier for the hard-working farmers.

From here it is only a few hundred metres until you reach the small village of "Gundersdorf". There are several places to stop here, such as the Buschenschank Machater where you should taste the Schilerol, a refreshing drink based on Schilcher, or several other places to stop.

Now the descent into the Zachgraben awaits you, which knows how to convince with its idyll and fresh air. Linger here for a while, or walk part of the way barefoot, a special experience.

Slightly uphill you hike towards the highlight of this hike. At the Buschenschank Ofnerpeter, not only delicious pastries await you, but also the bright raccoons. These animals are not really to be expected in this area, which makes it all the more fun to watch these funny fellows. The wonderful view over the beautiful landscape of Western Styria is also enchanting from here.

The trail then leads you further along ascending, wonderful forest paths to the highest point. Here, too, you have to pause for a few minutes and enjoy the magnificent view from the Graz basin to south-eastern Styria. On clear days, you can even spot the distant Riegersburg on its volcanic rock.

From now on, the route goes downhill to the Hackl wine tavern, which is hidden in a quiet spot amid vineyards and forests - a place to fall in love with. Your next destination is the village of Grubberg. To get there, you cross a small stream in the forest. Here you can also refresh your tired legs a little. From a distance you can already see the colourful guest garden of the Buschenschank Geiser vulgo Tschankhiasl. The specialities from the Turopolje pig on offer here will give you strength for the last descent to the Lemsitzbach stream and the taste on your palate will remain unforgettable.

Now follow the rushing Lemsitzbach stream and walk past a retention basin to St. Stefan ob Stainz. After a short stretch along a municipal road, you reach the "Mediterran" inn.

Just a few more metres and you have arrived at the main square of St. Stefan. Quickly enjoy one of the delicious ice cream specialities or a coffee at the "Kainz" and you will be full and happy again, having arrived at the starting point of this special hike through the West Styrian wine region.

Visit the raccoons: At Buschenschank Ofnerpeter, real raccoons, a real attraction, and a large children's playground await you.

Many starting points for our hikes in southern Styria can also be reached by public transport.

For a relaxed and sustainable journey, we recommend travelling by bus and train wherever possible.

Depending on the region, additional local transport options are available.

This allows you to start your tour stress-free while also contributing to climate and nature conservation.

All information on public transport, local mobility services and timetables can be found at: www.suedsteiermark.com/arrival

The nearest train stations are: Lannach, Frauental or Deutschlandsberg.

Schilcherland parking lot St. Stefan

Information offices:

Stainz Tourist Office, Tel.: +43 (5) 7730 710, 8510 Stainz, Hauptplatz 1

South Styria Tourist Association, Tel.: +43 (5) 7730, 8530 Deutschlandsberg, Hauptplatz 40

www.suedsteiermark.com