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Genuss-Schilchern DA
So leave your everyday life behind and experience this unique region. You will hike through the idyllic Zachgraben, and enjoy the untouched nature there before you are rewarded at the highest point of the tour with a fantastic view over the Graz Basin to Riegersburg in Eastern Styria.
For the necessary refreshment, Buschenschänken and inns await you, ready to spoil you with the region's delicacies.
So far so typical, but you probably wouldn't expect raccoons in this area. But at the Buschenschank Ofnerpeter, you will meet these funny fellows. They bring a smile to every visitor's face.
Back in St. Stefan ob Stainz, you should enjoy a delicious ice cream at the Kainz coffee house.
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The tour in numbers
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From the north: Motorway Munich - Salzburg - Eben - Schladming - Liezen onto the A9 towards Graz. Exit at Lieboch and follow the B76 towards Deutschlandsberg/Stainz. A9 is subject to toll - Gleinalmtunnel. Alternative: At St. Michael take the S6 towards Bruck and in Bruck take the S35 towards Graz. On the B76 in Schlieb turn right to St. Stefan ob Stainz until the next crossroads, turn left here after approx. 1.5km the car park is on the left.
From the west: In Villach take the A2 towards Klagenfurt. Take the Steinberg exit and drive in the direction of Stainz. In the village of St. Stefan ob Stainz turn left at the Stiegler Haus crossroads and after 50m you will find the car park on the right-hand side.
From the east: A2: Vienna - Aspang - Hartberg - Fürstenfeld - Graz. From Graz continue on the A2 in the direction of Klagenfurt and take the Lieboch exit in the direction of Stainz/Deutschlandsberg/Eibiswald. Follow the B76 to Deutschlandsberg/Stainz. On the B76 in Schlieb turn right to St. Stefan ob Stainz until the next crossroads, here turn left after approx. 1.5km the car park is on the left.
From the south: A1 from Marburg to Leibnitz. Exit in Leibnitz (Gralla) and continue on the B74 in the direction of Deutschlandsberg, take the second exit at the roundabout in Preding, after approx. 2km turn right onto the L617 in the direction of Stainz. In Stainz, drive through the town centre in the direction of Graz, and at the Spar-Markt crossroads turn left into St. Stefan. In the village of St. Stefan in the 30 km zone on the priority road at the church, cross the intersection and after 50 m you will have reached the car park on the right-hand side.
Continue on to Adi Strohmeiern's farm museum. Here you will learn everything about the way farming used to be done. Whereas in the past the work was still characterised by hard manual labour, technical progress has made things easier for the hard-working farmers.
From here it is only a few hundred metres until you reach the small village of "Gundersdorf". There are several places to stop here, such as the Buschenschank Machater where you should taste the Schilerol, a refreshing drink based on Schilcher, or several other places to stop.
Now the descent into the Zachgraben awaits you, which knows how to convince with its idyll and fresh air. Linger here for a while, or walk part of the way barefoot, a special experience.
Slightly uphill you hike towards the highlight of this hike. At the Buschenschank Ofnerpeter, not only delicious pastries await you, but also the bright raccoons. These animals are not really to be expected in this area, which makes it all the more fun to watch these funny fellows. The wonderful view over the beautiful landscape of Western Styria is also enchanting from here.
The trail then leads you further along ascending, wonderful forest paths to the highest point. Here, too, you have to pause for a few minutes and enjoy the magnificent view from the Graz basin to south-eastern Styria. On clear days, you can even spot the distant Riegersburg on its volcanic rock.
From now on, the route goes downhill to the Hackl wine tavern, which is hidden in a quiet spot amid vineyards and forests - a place to fall in love with. Your next destination is the village of Grubberg. To get there, you cross a small stream in the forest. Here you can also refresh your tired legs a little. From a distance you can already see the colourful guest garden of the Buschenschank Geiser vulgo Tschankhiasl. The specialities from the Turopolje pig on offer here will give you strength for the last descent to the Lemsitzbach stream and the taste on your palate will remain unforgettable.
Now follow the rushing Lemsitzbach stream and walk past a retention basin to St. Stefan ob Stainz. After a short stretch along a municipal road, you reach the "Mediterran" inn.
Just a few more metres and you have arrived at the main square of St. Stefan. Quickly enjoy one of the delicious ice cream specialities or a coffee at the "Kainz" and you will be full and happy again, having arrived at the starting point of this special hike through the West Styrian wine region.
With the BusBahnBim app of the Verbundlinie, timetable information is easier than ever: all connections by bus, train and tram in Austria can be retrieved by entering places and/or addresses, stops or important points. The app is available as a free app for smartphones (Android, iOS) - on Google Play and in the App Store.
Hauptplatz 40
A-8530 Deutschlandsberg
Tel +43 3462 7520
The hiking folder and the district-wide hiking map of Deutschlandsberg can be ordered free of charge online at www.schilcherland.at. ONLINE TOURS APPAll hiking tours can be found online at www.schilcherland.at/bewegung or via APP South & West Styria Tours in their app store.