recommended route
East-Austrian Border Trail 07 through Styria
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Blick ins Weinland bei FehringPhoto: bigshot.at, CC BY-ND, Steiermark Tourismus/bigshot.at
The section of the East-Austrian Border Trail through Styria leads us from Friedberg at the foot of the Wechsel through East Styria and the Spa and Volcano Region to Bad Radkersburg, the romantic border town in the border triangle of Austria - Hungary - Slovenia. Those interested in culture will get their money's worth at Vorau Abbey in Joglland or Riegersburg Castle in Vulkanland, among others, and culinary delights along the entire route - this is the way to do it in Styria.
The long-distance trail with the number 07 has a total length of about 710 km and starts on the Nebelstein in the Waldviertel, even leads through the federal capital Vienna and meets the Southern Alpine Trail 03 in Bad Radkersburg. On our crossing of East Styria, we take the access from Friedberg to Vorau via Trail 07 A, a variant of the main trail.
Track types
Rest stops
Augustiner Chorherrenstift VorauGlückskapelle am Masenberg
Altstadt Hartberg
Burg Riegersburg
Seebad Riegersburg
Schloss Kapfenstein
Gesamtsteirische Vinothek
Vinothek & Weinbaumuseum Klöch
Parktherme Bad Radkersburg
Safety information
Emergency call mountain rescue: 140
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?
Tips and hints
Steiermark Tourismus
Tel. +43 316 4003
info@steiermark.com
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,
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.
Start
Destination
Turn-by-turn directions
From Friedberg, the route first takes us via the charming village of St. Lorenzen am Wechsel over the Masenberg with views of the Hochwechsel, Stuhleck, Veitsch and Hochschwab and the Hartberger Ringkogel with its viewing platform to the historic town of Hartberg.
Immediately after Hartberg, the tour leads through the Natura 2000 Europe protected area Hartberger Gmoos and on through shady forests, across meadows and along fertile fields right into the heart of the Spa and Volcano Region of Styria to Bad Waltersdorf. Next stop: Bad Blumau with the famous Rogner Therme, designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser. What we definitely don't want to be missing is the 1,000-year-old oak tree on the Bierbaumer Höhe near Bad Blumau. This natural monument is said to be the oldest oak in Europe and is truly imposing. On forest paths, we now head towards Fürstenfeld, a small town that is just as beautiful as Hartberg, with a walkable historic town wall and impressive architecture. Last but not least, the route takes us to Söchau, the herb village in Styria.
Through forests, across meadows and past orchards, we then head to Riegersburg Castle, which towers imposingly on a volcanic cone. In all the centuries of its existence, Riegersburg Castle could never be conquered and was therefore rightly considered the strongest fortress of the Occident. We then reach the small town of Fehring in the Raab valley, where vineyards and the first clapboards accompany us more and more often.
The next section takes us into the heart of the Spa and Volcano Region, where the path leads through beautiful deciduous forests, past vineyards and also to Kapfenstein Castle. One of our next stops is the old "Maria Theresien Stone" at the small border triangle between Styria, Slovenia and Burgenland. Afterwards, we soon reach the idyllic village of St. Anna am Aigen, situated on a hilltop, which is especially known for the Gesamtsteirische Vinothek (Styrian Wine Cellar) on the main square and will delight every wine lover. The last section takes us through the beautiful vineyard landscape via the wine village of Klöch to Bad Radkersburg with its beautiful historic old town and the Parktherme spa, which invites us to relax.
Note
Public transport
Public-transport-friendly
Getting there
Parking
Coordinates
Book recommendation by the author
Fritz und Erika Käfer: Österreichischer Weitwanderweg 07 - Vom Nordwald in das oststeirische Wein- und Vulkanbergland, Sektion Weitwanderer des OEAV, www.alpenverein.at/weitwanderer, weitwanderer@sektion.alpenverein.at
Equipment
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.Statistics
- 23 Waypoints
- 23 Waypoints
Questions and answers
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