Stage 14 From Glacier to Wine South Route Tonnerhütte Zirbitzkogel - Obdach

Before we start we should ask the senior chef of the house, Reinhard Ferner, for tips along the route, because he surely has the right tip for each of us. Possibly there is no one who knows the hiking area around the Zirbitzkogel and the wishes of the guests like he does. Right from the start, it's uphill on our stage of the hiking route "From Glacier to Wine" with a stopover at the Zirbitzkogel with its shelter only about 20 meters in altitude below the summit cross. Through a section of forest and across meadows, as well as a short stretch on a forest road, we soon reach the Herterhöhe, a beautiful vantage point on the Murtal mountains. The viewing platform also invites you to take a first rest, which should not take too long, because the summit of the Zirbitzkogel is still waiting for us.

We keep straight on and hike here above the tree line to the ridge, where we reach the 2,396 m high Zirbitzkogel with its shelter (Tel. +43 664 9140283) after a few meters on the left. Its name is not derived from the stone pines, as is often assumed, but from the Slovenian zirbiza, which can be translated as red alpine pasture and refers to the frequently occurring rusty-leaved alpine rose, also called alpine bush. The area of the Zirbitzkogel is not only part of the Zirbitzkogel-Grebenzen Nature Park, but is now also designated as a Natura 2000 European protected area.

After visiting the summit and a well-deserved stop at the Schutzhaus, our route continues west to reach the Waldheimhütte (tel. + 43 3578 8205) on trail 320. This popular rustic hut can also be reached from Obdach, our destination, via a beautiful panoramic road. The rest of the way leads us across beautiful meadows, past idyllic farms and through shady forests, which we appreciate especially in midsummer on a hiking tour, directly to Obdach, our destination for today's stage. In the information office we can also get tips for the next stage, which leads us to the Salzstiegl.

Detailed information about arriving by ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) can be found at www.oebb.at or on the Verbundlinie Steiermark website www.busbahnbim.at

With Verbundlinie’s BusBahnBim route planner app, planning your journey has never been easier: simply enter towns and/or addresses, stop names or points of interest to check all bus, train and tram connections in Austria. The app is available free of charge for smartphones – on Google Play and in the App Store

Steiermark Tourismus

Tel. +43 316 4003

info@steiermark.com

www.steiermark.com/en

If you would like to hire a  tour operator, simply book with Steiermark Touristik, the official travel agency of Steiermark Tourismus:

Tel. +43 316 4003 450, 

www.steiermark-touristik.com

The Steiermark Touren app, available free of charge on Google Play and the App Store  (Android, iOS), offers detailed first-hand information: brief facts (length, duration, difficulty, ascent and descent/elevation gain, ratings), map, route descriptions, altimeter, compass, peak finder, navigation along the tour. You can also create your own personal lists of favourite tours and sites, store tours and destinations offline, use social media channels, and much more.

Gratis Pocket Card Wanderroute "Vom Gletscher zum Wein" finden Sie auf www.steiermark.com

Kompass WK219 Lavanttal, Saualpe, Koralpe www.kompass.at

Freytag & Berndt WK212 Seetaler Alpen · Seckauer Alpen · Judenburg · Knittelfeld www.freytagberndt.at

Rother Wanderführer "Vom Gletscher zum Wein": auf 160 Seiten mit 80 Farbabbildungen 60 Höhenprofile, 60 Wanderkärtchen im Maßstab 1:75.000, zwei Übersichtskarten, GPS-Tracks zum Download, Format 11,5 x 16,5 cm, kartoniert mit Polytex-Laminierung, ISBN 978-3-7633-4550-2, www.rother.de