Magic mountain Pfaffenkogel

Starting from Kleinstübing railway station, head first towards the Austrian Open-Air Museum Stübing and then climb the steep no. 11 trail, crossing the ridge and arriving at the summit cross of the Pfaffenkogel mountain. The rugged rock outcrops are impressive, but also potentially dangerous. Please be careful!

Since this stretch of the trail really is challenging, the gentler alternative along the 562 GUW trail may be preferred by less fit hikers. In the latter case you won’t reach the summit cross on the Pfaffenkogel, but you will still reach the Mostschänke Movia tavern.

The nature reserve around the Pfaffenkogel offers wonderful photo opportunities and an impressive view of the Mur flowing along the foot of the mountain.

Then you hike on to the Mostschänke Movia tavern “Hörgas-Pauli”. Strengthened by a lovely snack that includes award-winning bread, follow the road downhill to Enzenbach hospital.

From there, go left onto the 11a trail and slightly uphill onto the Gsollerkogel. Continue to the Bäckerseppl tavern. On the way you’ll have a beautiful view of Rein Abbey and, further on, of Gratwein and the pilgrimage church of Maria Strassengel.

From the game enclosure, continue on the 11a trail to Hörgas hospital and through the forest on a narrow, paved path down to the depot of the Gratwein fire brigade. The last stretch is across a flat passage through the market of Gratwein to the train station. You can now either take one of the frequent trains to get back to your starting point (1 stop to Kleinstübing), or, having spare energy to burn, you can walk along the R2 Mur cycle path upstream on the – partly gravelled – road past the Open-Air Museum Stübing and back to your starting point.

The farmhouse bread of the Mostschänke Movia tavern (also called “Hörgas-Pauli”) has won many a gold medal.

Hikers can easily arrive without a car by using bus or train services. The frequent S1 trains between Graz and Bruck/Mur make reaching OberGraz easy.

Take the S-Bahn 1 train to Kleinstübing and continue with the GUSTmobil minivan.

GUSTmobil minivan stops nearby: 1101 (Open-Air Museum Stübing), 1102 (Pfaffenkogel), 1104 (Kleinstübing railway station), 1111 (“Hörgas-Pauli”), 1002 (Gratwein railway station)

Rides can be booked a minimum of 60 minutes before desired departures by phone (0123 500 44 11), or via Internet (www.ISTmobil.at), using the app. (business hours: Monday – Saturday: 6am – 12 midnight, Sundays & public holidays: 6am – 10pm)

More information on train and bus connections: www.verbundlinie.at and www.oebb.at

Park & Ride parking at Kleinstübing railway station.

A less demanding alternative to the steep climb up the Pfaffenkogel is a hike through the “valley of farms”: signs directing you to the Austrian Open-Air Museum Stübing can already be seen on the platform of Kleinstübing station. The museum is open from April to October and you’ll need to pay for admission to visit the 100 or so historic rural buildings ranging from the Burgenland Berglerhaus to the Bregenz Forest mountain chalet. Exiting on the western end, you’ll get to Enzenbach hospital. There, you can rejoin the hike described below.