Along the Wine and Tower Trail, winegrowers invite you to taste their wines, and at the Wine Observatory you can enjoy the view at a height of 25 meters.
On this circular hike you get to know the surroundings of St. Peter am Ottersbach in a leisurely way. Except for a few sections, you are on the road, so that the hike to the wine station is also suitable for strollers. The lookout in the form of an abstract wine glass was built in 2004 and is literally the highlight of the hike. The view at a height of 25 meters extends over the Bacherngebirge, to the Karawanken, the Gleinalpe, the Schöckl to the Riegersburg. The wine taverns and also the inn "Zum Bergler Schlössl" (near the wine station) invite you to stop for a bite to eat. There is also a special feature at the Rauch winery, as the only cigar in Austria with the name Ostarrichi is lovingly handmade here.
From Vienna: A2 to Gleisdorf Süd exit, continue on B68 to Studenzen, St. Stefan im Rosental and L203 to St. Peter am Ottersbach
From Graz: A9 to exit Vogau, continue on the L208 to Weinburg and Weinburg, and the L269 to St. Peter am Ottersbach
Detailed information on how to get here can be found here.
We start at the hiking overview board in the center of St. Peter am Ottersbach, cross the street, pass the SPAR and walk in the direction of the leisure center. Following the road straight ahead, we cross the Ottersbach bridge and see the yellow signposts at the tennis court. We follow the directional arrows to the left and hike more or less along the Ottersbach. The trail is on gravel or asphalt roads, and we can already see the wine tower in the distance from here. At the fork (2), 000 m, in the direction of Buschenschank Pitzl, we now go slightly uphill to the right. In front of Pitzl we turn left and follow the road, which continues slightly uphill. It goes through sparsely populated areas and past beautiful vineyards. After strolling along comfortably, almost level, we go uphill for a short distance and turn right at the next intersection. We walk across open areas and in sections again and again through the forest, following the asphalt road, which leads us directly to the Weinwarte. Via 142 steps you reach the viewing platform at a height of 25 meters. The lookout is an absolute must, as the view and the panoramic panels give a very nice overview of the region. After the short detour to the lookout, we follow the road that leads slightly downhill, come to a crossroads where it goes left "Zum Bergler Schlössl "and go straight on in a slight up and down over the back. At the end of the dead end, a hollow way leads downhill through a short piece of forest. Immediately afterwards we come back to the road, which we follow straight on. We walk past the Rauch winery and follow the road to the Calvary Chapel. Now we leave the road and go down the steep Kreuzweg and come directly to the sports field. From now on we hike the already known path back to the center of St. Peter am Ottersbach.
The lookout with its 142 steps is absolutely worth seeing in itself and can be recommended even without a hike.
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By bus to the center of St. Peter am Ottersbach.
Several parking possibilities at the starting point in the village
Gasthof Dunkl, Tel.: +43 3477 2228, 8093 St. Peter am Ottersbach, Hauptstraße 28, www.dorfwirt.at
Bergler Schlössl, Tel.: +43 3477 2018, 8093 St. Peter am Ottersbach, Pebersdorf 39, www.bergler-schloessl.com