Stage 05 Styrian Wine Country Cycling Route St. Ruprecht an der Raab - Hartberg

From St Ruprecht an der Raab, the route begins upstream along the Raabtal Cycle Path R11, but the ride is gentle and relaxed as we pass through Unterfladnitz towards Weiz. A few kilometres before Weiz, in Regerstätten, we branch off to the right and continue on the Apfeltour Cycle Path WZ16. More and more orchards now accompany us on our ride, which takes us over a short ascent and a following gentle descent into the village of Etzersdorf. Here, we first keep to the right to pass through the village, following the well-marked route that leads past the Buschenschank Leiner, away from the main road.

At the end of the village, the route climbs up the Wetzelberg on the left-hand side, passing through beautifully tended apple orchards. Once on the ridge, the path takes us straight into the heart of the Apfelland’s garden landscape – also known as the Styrian Apple Road. Now it is simply a matter of enjoying the ride and hoping we have not forgotten the camera, as the scenery here is truly idyllic. Before reaching the apple village of Puch bei Weiz, the centre of the Styrian Apple Road, we face another descent followed by a short climb. Once in Puch bei Weiz, it is time to slow down, pause, and enjoy. A tip: the Hotel Meißl or the idyllic terrace of the Kirchenwirt, who also belongs to the Abakus monks and whose cuisine is renowned far beyond the region. But take care – we would not be the first to stop over here and continue the journey only the following day.

We leave the apple village of Puch bei Weiz with a short climb, before gently riding downhill again along the Apfeltour Cycle Path WZ16 to reach the Stubenberg Gorge. At the entrance to the gorge, we change onto the Feistritztal Cycle Path R8, following it downstream through the dramatic gorge. Roaring water, towering rock walls, and daring fords accompany us over the next few kilometres. At the exit of the gorge, the Stubenberg Lake awaits – one of the most popular bathing lakes in eastern Austria.

The lake welcomes us with countless leisure options, along with restaurants and hotels that invite you to take a break or stay longer. From Stubenberg Lake, our route continues to the Tierwelt Herberstein zoo with its adjoining castle and beautiful castle gardens, a must-visit for all flower lovers. At Tierwelt Herberstein, home to more than 130 animal species from five continents, we keep left to follow the Hofkirchentour Cycle Path HB8 towards the Pöllauer Tal Nature Park.

On little-used side roads, we continue along the Hofkirchentour Cycle Path HB8, passing behind Schielleiten Castle with its large ponds, until we reach the wine-growing area of Tiefenbach. In the small village of St Stefan – just a few kilometres after Hofkirchen – we turn left at the Gothic church onto the Saifental Cycle Path HB18, leading directly into the Pöllauer Tal Nature Park. Past fields and apple orchards, and through short, shady forest sections, the cycle tour brings us to Schönegg near Pöllau, where we keep to the right and change cycle paths for the last time today.

From here, the final kilometres take us to Hartberg along the Pöllauer Cycle Path R57, which runs through the entire Pöllauer Tal Nature Park. If time allows, a visit to the town of Pöllau with its striking castle and the Fandler Oil Mill is highly recommended. To do this, we leave the Pöllauer Cycle Path R57 for a few kilometres in the opposite direction. Returning to our main route, we conclude today’s stage cycling through small villages of the Nature Park before reaching the historic town of Hartberg. With its old town centre and wide-ranging cultural offerings such as the Hartberg Summer of Literature, it is one of the most charming towns in eastern Austria. Today culture, tomorrow spas: the next stage leads us onwards to Loipersdorf.

In the Thermen- und Vulkanland region of Styria, Eastern Styia, and South and WestStyria, the GenussCard opens the door to over 200 excursion destinations when staying at one of the 160 or so GenussCard partner establishments. Many of these GenussCard destinations, ranging from culinary manufactories to bathing lakes and museums, are located directly on the Styrian Wine Country CycleTrail

Getting there by public transport
ÖBB: www.oebb.at or Verbundlinie Styria: www.busbahnbim.at

The S3/S31 rapid transit line connects Graz with St. Ruprecht an der Raab. After arriving at the station in St. Ruprecht an der Raab, cycle along Bahnhofstraße to Untere Hauptstraße, where you turn right to reach the main square, the starting point of the tour. Our destination Hartberg is also connected via regional train 520 to Vienna and Fehring in the Raab Valley, which lies on stage 06. For short-break travelers who wish to split the Styrian Wine Country Cycle Route across several trips, Hartberg offers multiple opportunities to exit the tour and take the regional train to Fehring, and then continue by S-Bahn to Gleisdorf. From Gleisdorf, it is also possible to take the S31 rapid transit line back to St. Ruprecht an der Raab, if this was your starting point.

With the BusBahnBim app from Verbundlinie, planning your journey has never been easier. Simply enter a place name, address, stop, or point of interest to get real-time connections for buses, trains, and trams across Austria. The app is free and available for smartphones (Android and iOS) – on Google Play and the App Store.

If you would like to hire a tour operator simply book your trip with Steiermark Touristik, the official travel agency of Steiermark Tourism:
Tel. +43 316 4003450 | www.steiermark-touristik.com

Further information

Steiermark Tourismus, Tel. +43 316 4003, www.steiermark.com

TV Oststeiermark, Tel. +43 3335 47147, www.oststeiermark.com

Busse-Taxi Werderitsch in St. Ruprecht an der Raab bietet bei Bedarf die Abholung von unterwegs mit einen Taxibus samt Radanhänger an, Tel. +43 3178 28200 oder +43 664 1453305.

Pocket Card "Radwege in der Steiermark" Tel. +43 316 4003 www.steiermark.com

Folder "Weinland Steiermark Radtour" Steiermark Tourismus Tel. +43 316 4003 www.steiermark.com

Weinland Steiermark Radtour 1:50.000, Verlag Esterbauer - bikeline Tel. +43 2983 28982 www.esterbauer.com