Gerschkogel

A leisurely hike on asphalt and gravel roads along the panoramic Sonnseit'n from St. Georgen ob Judenburg to the archaeologically interesting Gerschkogel in the Murtal adventure region.

The hike in the Murtal adventure region leads from the town centre - via the Sonnseit'n with its great views - to the inconspicuous but historically interesting Gerschkogel. The summit lies at an altitude of 1231 metres in the north-west of the municipality of St. Georgen ob Judenburg. If you hike to the summit area, you would not expect to find the remains of a Celtic fortification and settlement terraces here. In recent years, archaeological excavations have taken place here and on the Falkenberg, which have brought this knowledge to light. The Hallstatt period settlement on the Falkenberg, near the town of Judenburg, is known to have been inhabited by around 3000 to 4000 people from around 800 BC to around the middle of the 6th century BC. Information on this can be obtained from the Institute for Southeast Alpine Bronze and Iron Age Research (ISBE) in Graz.

Note on the tour: The hiking trail is insufficiently marked in the upper section, so the GPS track is an advantage. In addition, the trail leads through pastureland, so you may have to climb over locked gates.

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

Best season

January

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

The tour in numbers

easy

Level of difficulty

12,7 km

Route

4:00 h

Time

560 hm

Uphill

560 hm

Downhill

1231 m

Highest point

Map & downloads

Download GPX data

Download KML data

More information

From Judenburg via the B317 (14 km, approx. 15 minutes)

From Murau via the B96 (26 km, approx. 30 minutes)

We start at the village square of St. Georgen ob Judenburg (1), 734 m, and walk slightly downhill through the village. After crossing the Mur bridge and the railway tracks, we see the yellow signposts and the road sign for Wetzelsberg at the crossroads. We keep right uphill and follow the tarmac road through Pichlhofen. Staying on the road, after approx. 2 km we come to the few houses of Wetzelsberg (2), 950 metres. At the crossroads with the "Wetzelsberg" sign, turn right and follow the road. We take a leisurely and scenic walk uphill and at the crossroads keep to the signposts for Wetzelsberg no. 56, 80. The forest road, which we follow continuously, runs uphill through the forest and across large meadows until we see the yellow signposts for Gerschkogel at a crossroads. From here, the path climbs somewhat more steeply through the forest. On the Gerschkogel (3), 1231 m, there is a wooden summit cross with a colourful mosaic of the Virgin Mary. If we go down a few metres and then turn left, we have a clear view towards Judenburg. The way back is via the ascent route.

The upper part of the hiking trail leads through pastureland, so you may have to climb over closed gates several times.

Take the train or bus to St. Georgen ob Judenburg.

The exact timetable and general information about public transport in the region: www.verbundlinie.at

Several car parks in the village or directly at St. Georgen ob Judenburg railway station.

Refreshments and overnight accommodation:

Gasthaus Wieser, Tel.: +43 3583 2272, 8756 St. Georgen ob Judenburg 7, www.gasthof-wieser.at

Gasthof Sonnenhof, Tel.: +43 3583 2116, Pichlhofen 60, 8756 St. Georgen ob Judenburg, www.maerchenwald.at

Postcafe Ehgartner, Tel.: +43 3583 2855, 8756 St. Georgen ob Judenburg 11, www.murtaleis.at

Freytag & Berndt (2017): Seetaler Alpen, Seckauer Alpen, Judenburg, Knittelfeld. WK 212 Wander-, Rad-, Freizeitkarte; 1 : 50 000 C. und M. Hlatky, (2017): Murtal – Rund um Spielberg – Seetaler Alpen und Seckauer Alpen. Kral Verlag, S. 160