We leave the romantic village of Ehrenhausen, the starting point of the South Styrian Wine Route, in a northwesterly direction via Weinleitenstraße and Ladlerweg to soon reach Retznei, a small village between Ehrenhausen and Leibnitz, through a short stretch of forest and past fields. As an archaeological site, the area of Retznei has been known among archaeologists since the end of the 19th century and is a popular meeting place. However, our path does not lead into the center of the small village, but we hike around the village on the southwestern edge of the village to get past a quarry to the Buschenschank Zweytick.
After this slight ascent, the trail leads us slightly downhill to Aflenz an der Sulm. The Roman quarry Aflenz is the oldest, today still active mine in Austria. This quarry is also often referred to as the Roman Cave Aflenz, because in the area settled by the Celts, a Roman settlement was founded around 15 BC, which was elevated to a city by the Roman Emperor Vespasian in 70 AD. The city was named Flavia Solva at that time, which today represents the city of Wagna. For the construction of the amphitheater in Rome, stone blocks made of Aflenz sand-lime bricks were used. From Aflenz we continue past the Aflenzer Kogel, which is on the left, to the Rettenberg with its beautiful vineyards and Buschenschänken (wine taverns) such as that of the family who run a wine farm here. Here we keep to the right to get to the Seggauberg, where, in addition to an impressive and exciting temple museum, the beautiful castle with an equally beautiful wine cellar and hotel awaits us. Before that, however, we pass by the Hirschmugl winery, which has made a name for itself especially with its organic wine and has received numerous awards.
At the Frauenberg Temple Museum, which can be found about 1 km after the Hirschmugl Winery, we have also reached the highest point of this last stage on the southern route of the hiking trail "From Glacier to Wine". In 2 exhibition rooms and a spacious open-air area, we learn exciting things about the 6,500-year history of Frauenberg in this museum. A few hundred meters later we would reach Seggau Castle, but before that we turn right. Today the castle, which after the 2nd World War no longer functioned as a purely agricultural estate and had become unprofitable, houses a modern congress, conference and seminar center, a hotel, a 300-year-old wine cellar with tasting facilities and a castle tavern. The wine cellar is particularly impressive: the enormous interior dimensions of 75 m long, 8 m wide and 8.5 m high reflect the importance of viticulture for the castle. The wine cellar contains 36 oak barrels with a total capacity of about 150,000 liters. The cellar has not been used for pressing since 1992, but serves as a show cellar and is mainly used for wine tastings, celebrations and events. The underground annex, built in 1983, houses a wine store where Seggau wines and other regional specialties are offered for sale.
On the back side of the castle we first go downhill and soon turn right into the forest, which brings us to the river Sulm. We cross the bridge and hike the last kilometer to the town of Leibnitz with its beautiful main square. The historic town with its numerous cafes and restaurants as well as shopping and cultural opportunities invites you to stroll and linger. A special feature are the "Genussplätze" in and around Leibnitz: these have a typical South Styrian flair, touch with naturalness or move with their nature and history. The places, some of which are barrier-free, are marked with artfully designed boards made of wood or stainless steel. Five hiking trails connect the 20 places of enjoyment, which for us still represent a beautiful conclusion to our journey from the eternal ice of the Dachstein glacier to the wine country of southern Styria.