Via Natura Stage 5: The Biography of the Earth

Welcome to the VIA NATURA - a long-distance hiking trail with a length of around 130 km.

The biography of the earth can be imagined and understood from the landscape around Mariahof and St. Blase, which was shaped by the Ice Age. Old churches and farms also remind us of the area's human history.

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

Best season

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

The tour in numbers

medium

Level of difficulty

11,2 km

Route

4:15 h

Time

288 hm

Uphill

380 hm

Downhill

1113 m

Highest point

Map & downloads

Download GPX data

Download KML data

More information

By car from GermanyFrom Munich via the A8 towards Salzburg. From Salzburg on the A10 Tauernautobahn to St. Michael im Lungau. On the B 96 to Tamsweg, then on the B 95 to Predlitz. The B 97 leads via Stadl/Mur to Murau. There at the roundabout towards St. Lambrecht to Murauer train station and further towards St. Lambrecht. Via Laßnitz near Murau you reach St. Lambrecht, which is already in the nature park. On the federal road from St. Lambrecht to Mariahof turn left towards the church.

Arrival from Eastern Austria/HungaryAt the motorway junction in St. Michael near Leoben, take the S 36 towards Klagenfurt. Past Knittelfeld and Judenburg to Scheifling. In Scheifling continue towards Klagenfurt to Neumarkt, via Unzmarkt and Perchau am Sattel you reach Neumarkt. There turn right towards Murau, in Mariahof after the railway crossing turn left towards St. Lambrecht. On the main road to St. Lambrecht, turn right into St. Blase, towards the church.

Arrival from southern Austria/ItalyVia Klagenfurt on the S 37 past St. Veit/Glan, Treibach and Friesach. In Friesach continue towards Vienna, via Dürnstein and Wildbad to Neumarkt. After the town center turn left towards Murau, in Mariahof after the railway crossing turn left towards St. Lambrecht. On the main road to St. Lambrecht, turn right into St. Blase, towards the church.

The tour starts at the reading garden in St. Blase. From there you walk along the asphalt road to the “Moar im Bach” farm. You continue along meadows and fields to the forest, where the St. Blasner Fitweg begins and leads through the forest to the Nazn farm. Then you walk through the Kreuztal, continue towards the elementary school and down into the Thajagraben to the Leseinsel, where the path crosses the Thajabach and the St. Lambrechter Landesstraße. The rest of the tour leads past the farms to the Dürnberger Moor. Then you walk along a forest path to the Ohnewander homestead. You follow the asphalt road from Oberdorf to Vockenberg, where there are wonderful views of the Zirbitz, Mariahof and the Furtnerteich, which in turn can be reached via asphalt roads. You continue along the northeast bank to Galgenberg, which lies on a hill in the forest. From there you can clearly see the destination, the Mariahof Church. From Galgenberg you go downhill and cross the St. Lambrechter Landesstraße again. The last section leads through the Mariahof district of Hoferdorf to the fortified church. Before the end of the stage, you can visit the Father Blasius Hemp monument and his grave on the church wall near the church.

With the BusBahnBim app from the interconnected line, timetable information is easier than ever before: all bus, train and tram connections in Austria can be queried by entering locations 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.

ÖBB www.oebb.at | Styria connection line www.busbahnbim.at

Public parking spaces are available at the Gasthof Kirchmoar.

The ideal time for this tour is from April to October. Information brochures are available at the various information offices.