Heart track (Herzspur) in Bad Gleichenberg

We start in the middle of the spa park at the double wooden lounger (1), 289 m, and thus at the station "Magic of the beginning". On the asphalt sidewalk we see the red hearts and follow this marking through the park. Shortly after we come to a road, we turn right and pass by the fire station. It goes flat until we keep to the right at an intersection and thus pass tennis courts. Now we cross the busy thoroughfare of Bad Gleichenberg and hike slightly uphill to the station Naschgarten (2), 295 m, with a Styrian Herzerlbank and various shrubs. The trail continues uphill, first on the road and then on a narrow asphalt path. At the end of the trail, continue to the right through the populated area. Once in the forest, the heart trail makes a detour at a crossroads to the Linden Chapel (3), 350 m, where stations 3 and 4 are located. Back at the crossroads, we now branch off to the left and follow the well-marked trail through the forest until we come to a meadow and thus to station 5 "Relationship in Balance". Here is a resting place with a heart-shaped bench, seesaw and a beautiful view of the church of Trautmannsdorf. The path continues a bit through the forest until we come to an asphalt road. Here we continue to the left, past the Buschenschank Leitgeb winery (4), 303 m, to the crossing at the railroad crossing. The heart track leads over a sidewalk to the left downhill to the valley floor and the bridge (5), 272 m.  Past a few houses and up a staircase, we continue hiking to the center of Trautmannsdorf (6), 326 m. After a short round through the center of the village we go downhill, along the footpath, in the direction of Bad Gleichenberg. Following the markings we reach the bottom of the valley again and pass the station "Talking together", slightly uphill. We reach a crossing point we already know and keep to the right. The heart trail leads straight ahead, parallel to the railroad hiking trail, through the forest and downhill through the populated area of Bad Gleichenberg. Finally, we walk past the train station and the technical college, into the center (7), 317 m, and to the office of the tourist board. With the blessing in the parish church we conclude the heart trail.

• Emergency call mountain rescue: 140
• ambulance: 144
• European emergency call: 112
• firefighters: 122
• police: 133

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?

Proper backpack packing makes many things easier: Pack heavy things first. The water bottle should always be within reach in a side pocket. All the things that are often needed, such as sunglasses, camera or hiking map, belong on top. An emergency kit, including blister plasters, belongs in every rucksack and it is always advisable to dress in layers.

Those who want to hike the trail actively as "Herzpur - Theme Trail for Couples" should definitely pick up the accompanying booklet at the tourist office beforehand.

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

Tourist Office Thermen- und Vulkanland
Gästeinfo Bad Gleichenberg
Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Str. 1/top 4
8344 Bad Gleichenberg
Tel. +43 3382 55 100-44
badgleichenberg@thermen-vulkanland.at
www.thermen-vulkanland.at

www.herzspur.at

Volcanic Land Hiking Map "Man & Nature" 1:500.000 Styrian Volcanic Country Tel. +43 (0)3152/8575-710 www.spuren.at

freytag & berndt WK 412 Southeast Styrian Hills, Volcanic Country, Bad Gleichenberg, Bad Radkersburg

Kompass hiking guide "Styrian Volcano Country - On the trail of the volcanoes". Descriptions, route maps and elevation profiles ISBN 978-3-85026-096-1 www.kompass.at