Stage 28 From Glacier to Wine North Route Hartberg - Bad Waltersdorf

We start at the beautiful main square of Hartberg and walk along Kirchengasse to Kernstockplatz, where we turn left and walk along Johann-Zechner-Gasse to the Natura 2000 Europe protected area Hartberger Gmoos. The 70 hectare wetland with its approximately 150 bird species has a varied history. Before it was declared a nature and European protected area, a large lake existed here centuries ago, which should have given way to a bathing lake or possible hall in the last century. Today the Hartberger Gmoss is a popular recreation area and resting place for numerous animal and plant species, as only a few cities can boast. At the end of the Hartberger Gmoss we turn right to reach the Josef Hallamyr Straße via the Safenauer Straße, where we keep left.

We are now on the East Austrian Borderland Trail 07, which we follow to Bad Waltersdorf, our destination for this stage on the hiking route "From Glacier to Wine". After the district of Neusafenau, we keep diagonally left and now hike the next kilometers through a beautiful, shady forest, which is especially welcome on hot days in summer. After this comfortable forest hike we pass some fields and farms and reach the small village of Oberbuch. At the end of the village we keep to the left in order to pass under the southern freeway and enter a wooded area again. Short forest sections and sections past fields now alternate on our ascent towards St. Magdalena am Lemberg. On this part of the trail we almost always walk along the edge of a linden forest on the ridge of the mountain until we reach the top of the Burgstall. Shortly before St. Magdalena we reach the Mantschenkreuz, whose place offers us an impressive panoramic view of Hartberg and the mountains of eastern Styria such as Kulm, Masenberg or Wechsel.

Through the varied landscape with views in between of the hilltops and volcanic cones of the thermal and volcanic country around Bad Gleichenberg and Straden we hike to the Wagerbergberg northeast of Bad Waltersdorf with the H2O Therme and the Heiltherme. From here there is a comfortable descent into the beautiful center of Bad Waltersdorf with its spa park, which is home to a romantic pond and various herb gardens and is a true place of well-being. This stage with views of the hilly country around the thermal baths in southeastern Austria is already a foretaste of the next stage, which brings us to Fürstenfeld.

Accessible by train and bus.

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 WK225 Steirisches Hügel-, Vulkan- und Thermenland, Mureck, Bad Radkersburg, Murska Sobota www.kompass.at

Freytag & Berndt WK423 Steirisches Thermenland · Südliches Burgenland · Steirisches Vulkanland 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