Beetle Bean Tour to the Roman Wine Route

Name: Beetle Bean Tour to the Roman Wine Route
Brand: Steiermark
Rating: 5 (4 reviews)

A varied circular tour with sections of path through shady mixed forests and the largest apple-growing area in Europe, along the East Styrian Roman Wine Route and through the town of Gleisdorf. In and around St. Ruprecht an der Raab - located in the heart of the Raab Valley in Eastern Styria and not far from Graz - there are numerous cycling and hiking tours that take us into and through the Garden of Austria, as Eastern Styria is also affectionately called. The beetle bean fields are marked with their own signs!

Around the Raabtalradweg, which leads from the Almenland to the Thermenland in south-eastern Styria, numerous circular tours have been established around St. Ruprecht an der Raab, which are an ideal complement to a relaxing active holiday in eastern Styria. The numerous wine taverns and apple farms along the tour invite you to a cosy stopover. The circular tour is made up of the merging of several cycle paths. The orientation is good and clearly arranged - just follow the route numbers listed in the following route description.

This circular tour is of course also suitable for e-bikes. The beetle bean fields are marked with their own signs!

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

Best season

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

The tour in numbers

challenging

Level of difficulty

51,6 km

Route

4:00 h

Time

709 hm

Uphill

709 hm

Downhill

491 m

Highest point

Map & downloads

Download GPX data

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More information

The market town of St.Ruprecht is located in Eastern Styria and is very easy to reach via the A2 from Vienna (approx. 2 hrs) and Graz (approx. 30 min).

Arrival from Vienna and from Graz: On the A2 from Vienna and from Graz, take motorway exit 161 / Gleisdorf West in the direction of B54/B64. Follow the B65 / Gleisdorf federal road until you reach the B54 / Wechselbundesstraße. At the roundabout take the second exit to the B64 / Rechberg-Bundesstraße. After about 6 km turn left to St. Ruprecht an der Raab.

Route planner

We start at the Peace Grotto on the main square, the central starting point of all cycle paths in St. Ruprecht an der Raab. We cycle between the church and the fire station to the Weizbach stream, which we cross. Immediately after the bridge, we turn left and cycle over another small bridge into Weizbachgasse.
Follow this to the right and leave the village and, after crossing the main road through a subway, you reach Arndorf on the R11 Raabtalradweg. Passing the area of the Lieb timber construction company, we leisurely cycle along the cycle path that leads through the fields to the small, beautifully situated settlement of Neudorf.
Here we continue to follow the signs for the R11 Raabtalradweg and branch off slightly diagonally to the left to reach Unterfladnitz, where a "right-left combination" awaits us. At the end of Unterfladnitz we come to a junction where we keep to the right.
From here we continue straight on - leaving the R11 Raabtalradweg, which branches off to the left towards Weiz - slightly uphill through the beautiful Mühlwald forest on the WZ1 Kulmblick Tour towards Etzersdorf. Just before Etzersdorf, a relaxing descent into the middle of the small village awaits us.
In Etzersdorf we keep to the right and after a "left-right-combination" we go uphill over a short ascent to the Wetzlberg. At the junction with the Styrian Apple Road, we stay on the WZ1 cycle path and let our bike run free downhill through the Wohngraben settlement.
Just under 2 kilometres after this settlement, a sharp left-hand bend awaits us. Continuing slightly downhill and uphill, we soon reach the village of Elz, which is known for its hiking trail "Elzer Roas" with the largest apple in the world as the starting point. This is the centre of the Styrian Apple Road.
In Elz, the WZ1 leads us further, past Buschenschanken and apple farmers via the village of Reichendorf, the Gottesgraben and the small settlement of Hart to a point where the WZ1 divides. We keep to the right and cycle along the WZ1 (the other route continues for about 1 kilometre to Pischelsdorf) to Neudorf.
In Neudorf we turn left and continue along the WZ2 Hügelland-Tour via the Ilztalerhof (a recommended stop!) to Prebensdorf. In Prebensdorf we leave the WZ2 and turn right onto the WZ3 Hartwald-Tour, which takes us uphill into the middle of the vineyards of the East Styrian Roman Wine Route.
If you haven't forgotten your camera, you should definitely take extra time for this section, because the views and vistas are enchanting.
In the village of Nitscha we change from the WZ3 to the WZ4, which takes us directly into the centre of Gleisdorf with the charming main square and the worth seeing town parish church.
Crossing the main square, we cycle along the R49 Mostwärtsradweg to Ludersdorf. Here we change to the WZ9 Freiberg cycle path, which takes us uphill through shady mixed forests to the Gut Freiberg golf club with its beautifully situated castle in the immediate vicinity.
Now it is only a short stretch that separates us from our starting point: slightly downhill, the WZ9 takes us directly back to the village of St. Ruprecht an der Raab.
At the park in the middle of the village, we continue straight ahead for another hundred metres along the R11 Raabtalradweg and arrive back at the starting point of our physically challenging but all the more impressive tour through the diverse landscapes of Eastern Styria - through the Garden of Austria.

Visit the Kernothek of the company Steirerkraft St. Ruprecht an der Raab
You will find refreshment in the numerous restaurants in St. Ruprecht an der Raab.

Timetables and travel information can be found at Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB) or at Verkehrsauskunft Verbundlinie.

For local transportation, we recommend the SAM-Sammeltaxi Oststeiermark, which also takes bicycles if booked in advance.

There are several parking spaces available on the main square in St. Ruprecht. Alternatively, about 150 m away, past the Hotel Locker & Legere and the Marktheurigen Strobl, there are numerous parking spaces at the large park in the middle of St. Ruprecht an der Raab.

Information about the region, places to stop and stay overnight, excursion destinations, etc., can be found here

Eastern Styria Tourist Board

St. Ruprecht an der Raab office

Lower main road 27

8181 St. Ruprecht an der Raab

Tel. +43 664 2353414

www.oststeiermark.com

ruprecht@oststeiermark.com

Current weather

Modern trekking bikes and bicycles can be rented at Garten-Hotel Ochensberger and Hotel Locker & Légere: