Styrian Volcano Trail

You reach the mighty Riegersburg castle via varied forest and meadow paths. In all the centuries of its existence, it has never been conquered. At 482 metres, it sits proudly on a volcanic rock from which you can admire the south-eastern Styrian hills. Your route then leads over a mountain ridge with great views to Fehring.

You hike mainly through extensive oak and beech forests to Kapfenstein Castle. Here, the Geotrail offers many informative display boards on the geological history of the region. The castle is prominently located on an extinct volcanic crater and overlooks the wide, hilly wine country as far as Slovenia and Hungary. Your stage destination is Neustift, an unspoilt village close to the border with Slovenia.

You follow the Grenzland hiking trail through almost unspoilt nature to the border triangle. You reach St. Anna am Aigen through fragrant elderberry plantations, rustic forests and flowering meadows. The Styrian wine cellar invites you to sample a wide range of regional delicacies. The route continues along the Kutschenitza border stream to Klöch via secluded customs officers' paths.

A truly royal tour on leisurely hiking trails through beech forests on the Königsberg, a volcanic cone whose interior can be viewed in the basalt fissure. Then it's off to the wine-growing area around Tieschen and on to the Rosenberg. You hike past well-tended vineyards and many wine taverns down into the valley to Bad Gleichenberg with impressive views of the vineyards.

Today can be organised in a variety of ways. On hot days, a short hike to the summit of the Gleichenberger Kogel is worthwhile, followed by a dip in the cool water of the outdoor pool. For the more energetic, there are other hikes around Bad Gleichenberg, with 10 to 27 km long routes to suit every hiker.

Your last hiking stage takes you back to Feldbach along the idyllic railway hiking trail, affectionately known by the locals as the ‘Jungle Express’. If you don't want to hike the whole stage today, you can shorten the route at any time by taking the railway. The journey ends at your starting point, the beautiful town of Feldbach.