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Zu Gast beim Teufel und auf der Waldtonialm, Fischbach

Name: Zu Gast beim Teufel und auf der Waldtonialm, Fischbach
Brand: Steiermark
Rating: 4 (4 reviews)

Accessible by public transport

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

The tour in numbers

Level of difficulty challenging

Route 16,0 km

Time 5:20 h

Uphill 720 hm

Downhill 720 hm

Highest point 1498 m

The hike through forests, meadows and with beautiful viewpoints takes us to one of the most beautiful and mysterious places of power in Austria.

According to legend, after Lucifer was cast from heaven into hell, he would be accepted back into heaven if he built a tower from earth to heaven on the holy night of Christmas. Lucifer carried three large giant stones up to the Fischbacheralpe, but he was unable to reach heaven within the prescribed time limit. He drove wildly back to hell, but he left the three stones on the Fischbacheralpe and they are called "the devil's stone" after him. The oldest cult place in Styria attracts numerous hikers and enthusiasts every year at the winter solstice who follow the natural spectacle together.

Best season

January

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More information

From Vienna via the A2 Südautobahn highway and the S6 Semmering expressway to the Kindberg exit. Here through the Stanzertal valley on the Schanzsattel-Landesstraße L114 to Fischbach.

From Graz via the Weizer-Bundesstraße B72 to Birkfeld and from here via the Schanzsattel-Landesstraße L114 to Fischbach.

From Linz/Salzburg/Munich via the Pyhrnautobahn A9 and the Semmering-Schnellstraße S6 to the Kindberg exit. Continue as above.

Further information: www.at.map24.com

We start right in the center of the idyllic mountain health resort of Fischbach
The village has been voted the “most beautiful mountain village in Styria” several times and has a particularly romantic and flower-filled townscape that is not to be missed
The large overview board “Hiking in Peter Rosegger's Waldheimat” gives us more information about our route before we set off
At the beginning, the trail leads slightly uphill through the village towards the settlement of Gmoa
Here we cross the road and leave the settlement area
We soon reach another popular starting point for hikes and in winter for cross-country skiing tours, the Zeller Kreuz, through beautiful forests with intermittent charming views towards Stuhleck and Wechsel. From here, we hike straight ahead on a forest path towards Teufelstein
Passing the Halter hut, which is open at weekends in summer, we come to the Teufelstein
The devil didn't get very far when he built his tower, but he does give us a wonderful view into the middle of the Alps and towards the east into the increasingly hilly landscape of Eastern Styria
From there, we follow the markings to the Waldtoni hut, which we have already noticed several times along the way
Almost exactly in the middle of the route between the lower Halterhütte and Waldtonihütte is the Schneidhofer cross with its striking, relatively large stream, the “Schreier”
In just a few minutes, we reach the Waldtoni-Alm hut, which is open from midday at weekends between May and October
After a well-earned rest, we continue on our way: we take trail no. 21 downhill to the hamlet of Stadlhof and then turn right onto the asphalt road following trail no. 25. At the next houses we come to the hamlet of Hauswirtshof
There we take path no. 6 over the small bridge on the right and walk along the access roads to the farmsteads of Oberdissau. At the Maurer wayside shrine, one of the oldest in the village, we take another break to make the half-hour ascent to Fischbach easier (path no. 6)
Passing the Ägydius chapel, which we pay a short visit to and wash our eyes with water from the “Heylquelle” spring, we reach the village square in Fischbach again after a few minutes

The day hike can be shortened: at the lower Halterhütte follow the blue markings to the asphalt road then along the Höhenstraße (path no. 7) to Fischbach; or At the Schneidhofer-Kreuz follow path no. 7 or 736 to the property vlg Glatzhofer and via the Höhenstraße (path no. 7) to Fischbach

Timetables and travel information can be found at Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB) or at Verkehrsauskunft Verbundlinie.
For local transportation we recommend the SAM-Sammeltaxi Oststeiermark

Fischbach, village square (free)

You can find information about the region, places to stop and stay overnight, excursion destinations, etc. here:

Eastern Styria Tourism Association
Joglland-Waldheimat office
8255 St. Jakob im Walde
Tel.: 03336/20255

www.joglland-waldheimat.at

Eastern Styria

current weather

Mobility Eastern Styria with shared taxi SAM

Hiking, skiing and cycling tour map and guide (Kompass Verlag) 1:50,000 TV Joglland-Waldheimat Tel. +43 (0)3336 / 20255 www.joglland-waldheimat.at Hiking map of the high-altitude climatic health resort of Fischbach 1:27,778 Information office Fischbach Tel. +43 (0)3170/ 206 www.hoehenluftkurort-fischbach.at

Compass hiking guide Joglland, Andreas Steininger, 2010