Floodplain experience trail (AuErlebnisWeg) Mureck

This rather short, but nevertheless extremely worthwhile circular trail leads through the second largest floodplain forest area in Austria. It is not only a beautiful walk along the Mur, it also informs at 12 stations about the formation of the floodplain with its flora and fauna as well as its ecological function and stimulates the experience of nature. At the beginning of the path at the orientation board we take the left path that leads us to the "gravel oak", an ancient tree trunk preserved in the floodplain. Only a short distance back we cross the millrace to the river Mur. We follow it upstream and arrive at the ship mill, a faithfully reproduced and fully functional mill that floats on the Mur. During a guided tour you can admire the entire mechanism from the drive to the large shaft wheel to the millstones to the sieve boxes and convince yourself of the function.Continue over the small bridge, briefly left on the forest road and immediately over the next bridge again directly to the bank of the Mur. We follow it for a good distance and then part from the Mur shortly after the new lock, where the millrace begins. Only about 100 meters "inland" the path goes through the beautiful floodplain forest with its otherwise very rarely seen animal and plant species back to the starting point in the direction of the ship mill. Instead of crossing the bridge, we follow the forest path to the left back to the starting point. If we are already in Mureck, we should not miss the town hall tower, through which we enter the main square about 600m further. On the inside and outside there are 16 stone reliefs from the 16th century, which contrast ancient mythology and scenes from the Old Testament with the New Testament. 

The stations

1. Early bloomers
2. Ice age terraces on the border river Mur
3. Water shapes the Au- Mur regulation
4. Erosion and sedimentation
5. Neophytes
6. Climbing plants in the floodplain
7. Trees of the floodplain forest
8. Wild garlic
9. Bird species
10. Amphibians
11. Seasons

Find timetables and travel information directly at: Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), Steiermärkische Landesbahnen (STLB), www.busbahnbim.at

With the BusBahnBim app from Verbundlinie, timetable information has never been easier: all bus, train and streetcar connections in Austria can be queried by entering locations and/or addresses, stops or important points. The app is available as a free app for smartphones (Android, iOS) - on Google Play and in the App Store.

Free parking available at the Mureck adventure pool.

Tourist Office Thermen- & Vulkanland
Gästeinfo Mureck
Hauptplatz 13
8480 Mureck
+43 3382 55 100-84
mureck@thermen-vulkanland.at
www.thermen-vulkanland.at

Vulkanland-Wanderkarte "Mensch & Natur" 1:500.000 Steirisches Vulkanland Tel. +43 (0)3152/8575-710 www.spuren.at

freytag & berndt WK 412 Südoststeirisches Hügelland, Vulkanland, Bad Gleichenberg, Bad Radkersburg

Kompass Wanderführer "Steirisches Vulkanland - Auf den Spuren der Vulkane" Beschreibungen, Routenkarten und Höhenprofilen ISBN 978-3-85026-096-1 www.kompass.at