Snowshoe hike Maria Schnee on the Hochalm

Name: Snowshoe hike Maria Schnee on the Hochalm
Brand: Steiermark
Rating: 5 (3 reviews)

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On snowshoes to the pilgrimage church very close to the sky in the adventure region Murtal.

The church Maria Schnee is located at an altitude of 1822 m above sea level and is visible from afar due to its exposed location on the high alpine pasture and the white facade. As the highest pilgrimage church in the Eastern Alps, it is a popular pilgrimage and excursion destination in the eastern Seckau Alps - located on the Maria Zell Founders' Trail. Originally, the church was dedicated to St. Jerome, the patron saint of cattle. In the course of the increased devotion to Mary, it was eventually renamed "Maria Schnee auf der Alm". From the forecourt of the church you have a wonderful view of the Judenburg-Knittelfeld basin (known as the Aichfeld), the Seetaler Alps and the Styrian Randgebirge. The Hochalm with the church is undoubtedly a very special place and to hike up here with snowshoes is one of the winter highlights of the adventure region Murtal.

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

Best season

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

The tour in numbers

medium

Level of difficulty

11,4 km

Route

5:00 h

Time

770 hm

Uphill

770 hm

Downhill

1822 m

Highest point

Map & downloads

Download GPX data

Download KML data

More information

From St. Michael in Upper Styria via the Murtal expressway S36 (vignette required) to the exit "Knittelfeld-Ost" and continue via Kobenz to Seckau. From there up the mountain via narrow roads and a forest path to the Kühbergerhof (ignore the driving ban) (29 km, approx. 35 minutes).

From Judenburg via the Murtal expressway S36 (vignette required) to the exit "Knittelfeld-Ost" and further via Kobenz to Seckau. From there up the mountain via narrow roads and a forest path to the Kühbergerhof (ignore the driving ban) (31 km, approx. 35 minutes).

By car to snowshoe hiking - a few things to watch out for!

Good winter tires are an absolute MUST!Ice scraper, snow broom, de-icer for the door locks and a small shovel belong to the basic equipment.Put snow chains and a tow rope in the car, even if you are not good with them yourself. Helping and knowledgeable hikers are always available on the mountain!Clear the car completely of snow and ice, especially sweep off the roof of the car completely.When parking, make sure you leave room for other motorists.Always park so that the rest of the roadway remains clear for cars, logging trucks, and snow removal vehicles.Find out about the snow situation on the access road or parking facilities before setting off. (hut host, webcams).

From the Kühbergerhof parking lot (1), 1079 m, the forest road leads gently uphill above the farm. After approx. 1.9 km we come to a sharp left-hand bend and continue along the main path until we reach the second crossroads. Here at the turn-off to the Grafenalm (2), 1290 m, we turn right and follow the path until we see the alpine pastures of the Grafenalm on the left and from there we can already see our destination for today, the Hochalmkirche. Now we walk along the ridge to the Grafenhütte (3), 1432 m, then through a fence passage behind the hut to a forest road, on which we finally reach the Maria-Zeller-Gründerweg. The well-marked path initially leads us west under the "Hochalmkircherl" until we reach the broad mountain ridge. Now we keep to the right and walk along the ridge directly to the Maria Schnee pilgrimage church (4), 1822 m. For the descent, we take the steeper slope in front of the church and always keep in the direction of the Wetterlärche, a solitary and striking larch tree in the middle of the alpine pastures. Continue right past the large alpine hut, along the clearly recognizable forest road, until we see the markings and thus the start of the hiking trail. We follow the path downhill through the forest and pay attention to the markings and signposts in the direction of Sonnwenddorf and Seckau. The path leads us along the Kühbergerbach stream and then back to our starting point.

Before or after the hike, we recommend stopping at the Regner confectionery in Seckau to taste the pastries and the famous Seckau gingerbread.

There is no public transport connection to the starting point of the tour.

General information about public transport to the region: www.verbundlinie.at

Large parking lot at the Kühbergerhof, 1079m. Parking fee 2 € (coins needed for the barrier).

Murtal adventure region Freytag & Berndt (2017): Seetaler Alpen, Seckauer Alpen, Judenburg, Knittelfeld. WK 212 Wander-, Rad-, Freizeitkarte; 1:50000

You can also find this tour on the Snowshoehiking map:

Region Murtal – Snowshoe map- Tour 25

The Snowshoe map - you can get for free at the tourism association Murtal - info@murtal.at - Tel.: +43 3577 26600

You can also find more information about the region on - www.murtal.at

Sarcletti S., Zienitzer E., (2. Auflage 2018): Schneeschuhführer Steiermark – Vom Dachstein bis zum Steirischen Weinland. Bergverlag Rother GmbH, München, S. 176. Für weitere Infos hier klicken.

Schneeweiß C., (2012): Schneeschuhgehen – Praxiswissen vom Profi zu Ausrüstung, Technik und Sicherheit. Bruckmann Verlag GmbH, München, S.192