Hand track (Handspur) - entire length

In Unterlamm the region Vulkanland spreads the five fingers of its left hand the furthest to the East and reaches the thermal bath Loipersdorf. Starting out at its main entrance, we walk towards Hotel Stoiser, cross the round-about and after a few meters see several signposts for hiking trails. We take care to check the signposts for Handspur and hike through the forest. From there we reach open, hilly landscape that we follow to the viewing platform “looking to our neighbors”. The panorama offers great views of the village Unterlamm, but also of the surrounding hills even far across the borders. Through the village we reach the Celtic tree Calendar, which is one of the stops along the Erlebensweg der Sinne, who accompanied us till here. Paths rich in variety lead us via Nesselbachberg and Mauserberg towards Hohenbrugg.
We pass abandoned meanders of the river Raab. A Tschartake reminds us of the region’s defensive history. Passing Castle Hohenbrugg we ascend Fröhlichberg and, further along, Weinberg. We cross the river Raab valley and reach the city of Fehring. The Tabor, the open-spaced main square as well as the parish church are well-worth a visit. The latter is especially known for its Madonna with a lopsided smile, a flaw carved in while attempting modernization. Via the mythical quarry we again walk uphill. The Kuruzzenkogel, historically a strong elbow against intruders from the East, welcomes us with its Kellergassl alley and some picturesque traditional wine cellars. From here we enjoy an easy hike on elevated grounds until we reach the fieriest place of Vulkanland: Kapenfsteiner Kogel. The trail descends slightly through the forest, crosses the street and follows along the valley straight towards Gleichenberger Kogel.
After the Pfeiferkapelle, a chapel that is designed in a rather unusual way, the path still slopes downwards, through elderberry orchards and a thick little forest until it rises again to the trass quarry with its colorful looks. Here, the "Handspur" meets the "Rückgrat", the spine of the trails of the volcanoes. We follow along, passing the hills Bschaidkogel and Mühlsteinbruch, and then downwards right into the heart of the village Bad Gleichenberg. The unique trees of the village’s park hide the secret Rindenkapelle, a chapel made from bark, and guide us to a former mug factory. Here, we say goodbye to the "Rückgrat" and follow the "Handspur" towards the West. We ascend Rudolfskogel with its amazing view over Bad Gleichenberg and the Sulzbach’s valley.
A little further we reachTrautmannsdorf. Through the diverse landscape with airy meadows and refreshing forests we reach the Poppendorf. The course of a little stream shows the way through the village until we turn towards Castle Poppendorf. We meet the Kaskögerlweg, which is named after a little hill that is also the westernmost volcanoe of the region. Via the Schlossmoar, a very activating place that strengthens the body’s immune system mostly via the Thymus gland (behind the breast bone), the signs lead us right into the center of Gnas.
We hike through the market town, along the stream Gnasbach towards the village Obergnas. The path heads through the forest to Raffelegg and to the top of the hill Kochberg. A fantastic lookout point welcomes us. Here, it is easy to connect even further with the surrounding landscape. This connection is also the main element of the 5-Elemente-path’s (5 elements) stop focusing on the earth. From here it is an easy walk on the hilltops. We cross the street and hike without noteworthy ascends, but still with a lot of beautiful views to Lichtenegg. After crossing the gouge dug by the stream Ottersbach, its spring is located nearby, we reach a street, where the Handspur meets the Grabenlandtrail, a long-distance hike from North to South. At first, we follow both trails towards St. Stefan, but only a short while later we stay on the Handspur and keep a bit to the left in order to get out of the forest at the chapel Marienkapelle. Here, the view opens over the valley and offers a welcoming glimpse of the market town St. Stefan and the stream Saßbach. Through a vineyard we descend the hill and reach the center of St. Stefan im Rosental in less than half an hour. We are happy to have reached our destination!

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Tourist Office
Thermen- & Vulkanland
Hauptstraße 2a
A-8280 Fürstenfeld
info@thermen-vulkanland.at
www.thermen-vulkanland.at