Day 1: Ideally, this long-distance hike starts on day 1 “only” with the ascent from Frauenberg or Kapfenberg (slightly longer, but better situated in terms of transport) to the Ottokar Kernstockhaus on Rennfeld, where you should also plan to spend the first night.from Kapfenberg (502m) via Oberkapfenberg Castle and the Wulfingweg to the Prieselbauer. Continue on hiking trail no. 714 in an easterly direction to the pilgrimage site of Frauenberg (939 m), from where the trail becomes somewhat steeper. Directly at the Frauenberg municipal office, the tour initially leads along a narrow, often damp farm track and through a short section of forest uphill to a meadow. Now turn slightly right uphill through a high forest to a forest path. Follow this and at the marked junction turn right steeply uphill along a narrow forest path. Now, crossing three forest paths, the route continues mostly quite steeply through forest and finally across a large clearing to the so-called “Götterquergang”. This is a somewhat rocky path leading uphill to the left. You soon reach the magnificent summit meadow and hike past the Kernstockhaus to the somewhat rocky Rennfeld summit (1,629m, summit cross). At the summit itself there is an overview board to make it easier to determine the panorama, which here extends from the high alpine regions of Upper Styria to the Graz basin, into Eastern Styria and even as far as Hungary. Overnight stay at the Kernstockhaus (1,619m) directly below the summit.Kapfenberg - Frauenberg 1 ½ hours, Frauenberg - Rennfeld 2 hours
Day 2: From the Kernstockhaus in an easterly direction downhill across beautiful meadows with wonderful views of the Joglland, the Teichalm and the rocky Hochlantsch to the Buchecksattel (large signpost).Now always along the ridge without any great gains or losses in altitude, mostly through high forest to the Grabenbauerhöhe (1,451m). Here you should make a short detour to the Schwarzkogel (1,448m), around 10 minutes' walk north of the main trail, a real insider tip for panorama fans and photographers who would like to take a full-frame photo of the entire Hochschwab region. Back on the main trail, the path leads downhill, now quite steep in places, through forest and finally across a panoramic alpine meadow directly to the Eibeggsattel (1,001m). Cross the municipal road at a memorial cross and continue uphill to the Ederkogel. Especially in autumn, this section of the trail is a colorful hiking experience due to the mixed forest and the alpine meadows in between.continue uphill, sometimes quite steeply, to the Aibelkogel with the Hofbauerhütte hut just below it, which is open in summer (no overnight accommodation, but crackers and sumptuous spreadable sandwiches).again uphill over open pastureland, past a stable building to the Ebenschlag (1,547m, summit cross) and the subsequent Hochschlag summit (1. 580m, fantastic view of the Teichalm and Sommeralm as well as Joglland). 580m, fantastic view of the Teich- and Sommeralm as well as the Joglland) and again quite steeply downhill (be careful in wet weather because of the slippery tree roots) to the Maißhöhe, where you have the option of turning right to reach the Strasseggwirt, about 20 minutes' walk off the main path, which not only plays the Styrian harmonica to perfection, but also offers overnight accommodation. The main trail itself, however, continues along the Mariazell pilgrimage trail 06, which now accompanies it, in a wide east-north uphill arc via the Knappensattel and the unmanaged Herrnalm near Fischbach to the Schanzsattel (1,171m) with the Gasthof zur Schanz. Overnight stay and proper Styrian food, advance booking absolutely necessary! Rennfeld - Eibeggsattel - Hofbauerhütte 5 hours, Hofbauerhütte - Schanzsattel 4 ½ hours
Day 3: From Schanzsattel, the trail leads unmistakably past the large Peace Cross along the left edge of a small ski slope, first through high forest and then across extensive alpine meadows, always slightly uphill in a north-easterly direction to the striking Teufelstein (1. 499m). 499m, a place of power, considered to be the oldest cult site in Styria), then almost directly south again and a short, somewhat steeper descent to the Halterhütte (open at weekends in summer) at the Alptor (1,386m, no overnight accommodation, but a recommended snack). From here, follow a forest path for a short stretch together with the tour around Joglland to the east, but soon the path turns north and descends to the Lendkreuz (1,044 m), where there are two options: either turn left uphill to Peter Rosegger's birthplace (1. 144m, recommended, but takes about an extra hour of walking) or a short stretch flat out of the valley following the asphalt road to the Grabler farmstead and then turning right via a path to Gasthof Schlagobersbauer (culinary tip: nomen est omen). If you choose the variant via the birthplace, you can descend from there via the marked hiking trail to the forest school and from here a signposted path also leads to the Gasthof Schlagobersbauer.by means of a striking east - north - east loop, the country road, which leads over the Alpl, becomes visible and in a few minutes you reach the Roseggerhof (1,096m, highly recommended inn, overnight stay possible) walking along it. The trail climbs again - but never really extremely steep and always through cool forest to the Jägerhöhe (1,227m) and further on, now almost flat, to the Red Cross, a striking wayside cross, after which you soon reach the Hauereck (1,301m) with the Sonnenhütte (overnight stay possible), just a short distance away and then one of the most beautiful panoramic hiking trails in the Eastern Alps begins, which is even part of the EU alpannonia® project. From Hauereck uphill through typical alpine high forests and suddenly you reach the wind farm on the Rattener Alm (open in summer) and the Steinriegel (1,577m). In the shadow of the mighty wind turbines over alpine pastures and through a short section of forest to the Rosegger Schutzhaus (1,586m), which is already visible just below the Pretul summit. Overnight stay and obligation to eat blackberry strudel (as blueberries are called in Styria)! 3 hours Schanzsattel - Roseggerhof, 3 ½ hours Roseggerhof - Hauereck - Pretul/Rosegger Schutzhaus
Day 4: The royal stage - from the refuge, a short ascent to the Pretul summit (1,656 m) with the memorial lodge keeper Peter Bergner, who was murdered in 1904. The onward route is now spread out before all hikers as if on a platter. Along the striking ridge, the trail leads over the Grazer Stuhleck and the Schwarzriegel to the highest point in Eastern Styria, the 1,783m high Stuhleck with the Alois Güntherhaus at the summit, which is open all year round (overnight accommodation available). From here you can see 1/3 of the entire Austrian territory from the Gesäuse and the Niedere Tauern to the Styrian Limestone Alps, the Vienna Basin, western Hungary, Burgenland, eastern Styria, parts of northern Slovenia and even Lake Balaton on clear days, but if the weather here is bad, this section of the route can also be quite uncomfortable, as the tour is always unprotected above the tree line. From the After the Stuhleck summit, the path swings a little to the south-east again and leads downhill to the Pfaffensattel, where the road of the same name is crossed, flat along a goods road and leaving it to the right at a memorial cross in the direction of Großer Pfaff (1,555 m). The path becomes narrower and steeper until you reach the top, alternating between forest and alpine pastures, and after the Harterkogel (1,523 m) you soon reach the Feistritzsattel saddle, where you cross the country road and immediately head uphill again, passing a crossroads in the direction of the Rabenkopf. In a wide east-south arc to the Bärenlacke at the Kranichberger Schwaig, which is managed in summer and has a real pasture fence course. The trail now finally leads in a southerly direction, continuing slightly uphill over wide alpine pastures up to the Hochwechsel (1,743m, memorial chapel for the last fighting of the Second World War in April 1945) with the Wetterkoglerhaus standing almost directly on the summit. Overnight stay and a tip here: For the descent from the Hochwechsel, we recommend the path to Mönichwald, the best way back to the starting point is by cab, very inconvenient on public transport! 2 hours Pretul/Rosegger Schutzhaus - Stuhleck, 5 hours Stuhleck - Hochwechsel.