In the footsteps of Peter Rosegger - The Christmettenweg, St. Kathrein am Hauenstein
This route takes you to the birthplace via short stretches of road and forest paths through forests. In between, the path also leads through meadows that bloom beautifully, especially in spring. The Christmettenweg in the Waldheimat is a popular family hiking destination, especially at Christmas time. In winter, it clearly shows the efforts the people of Alpler made to attend the church service back then.
In his story "On Christmas Night" from the famous book "When I was still the forest farmer's boy", Peter Rosegger describes his first walk to Christmas mass from the Kluppeneggerhof down to St. Kathrein am Hauenstein. The path that the Rosegger family took every Christmas Eve, often in storms and blowing snow, is still taken today on a guided torchlight hike in memory of the Waldheimat's great son.
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The tour in numbers
medium
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- However, we do not walk the path from the birthplace to St. Kathrein as little Peter and his family did every year on Christmas night, but hike uphill from the idyllic village of St. Kathrein am Hauenstein to the birthplace
- The trail starts - how could it be otherwise - at the church of St. Kathrein am Hauenstein, Peter Rosegger's favorite church, beautifully situated just above the village
- The trail leads along the Hirschbach stream via the Hochegger farmstead to the Lendkreuz, where we meet the Rosegger Trail, which leads from the Schanzsattel through the entire Waldheimat via the birthplace and the forest school on the Alpl up to the Stuhleck summit
- We continue, from now on always uphill, towards the birthplace past the farm where Peter Rosegger was apprenticed to Ignaz Orthofer as a tailor
- As quickly as his apprenticeship years passed, so quickly do we reach the place around which the whole Waldheimat "revolves", his birthplace, which is also our destination. We now take our time and immerse ourselves in the history of the local poet, nature lover, alert zeitgeist and promoter of tradition as well as fighter for the rights and preservation of rural life
- Peter Rosegger spent his first 17 years here at the "Vorderer Kluppeneggerhof" until one thing was certain
- Alternatively, we can take the same route back to St. Kathrein am Hauenstein via the Oberer Schlagbauer: on this path, we take a section of the same path back to branch off to the right a few hundred meters after the Lendkreuz onto path 737
This path takes us to the aforementioned Oberer Schlagbauer farm
Shortly after this farm we leave path 737 and turn left towards Unterer Schlagbauer, via which we return to our starting point (walking time 3 hours)
On Christmas Eve, a bus transfer is organized from St. Kathrein am Hauenstein to Alpl, from where the Christmettenweg can be walked. For more information, call +43 (0) 3336 / 20255!
Rosegger Card: with one card you can visit all of the memorial sites of the great local poet! Further information can be found at
www.steiermark.com/rosegger
St. Karthrein am Hauenstein,
church (free)
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Video St. Kathrein am Hauenstein, Joglland forest home in Eastern Styria | © Skiinfo & Bergleben
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Peter Rosegger exhibition in St. Kathrein am Hauenstein, Joglland forest home in Eastern Styria | © Oststeiermark Tourismus | Tourismusverband Oststeiermark
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Peter Rosegger Exhibition_Table_Eastern Styria | © Gemeinde St. Kathrein am Hausenstein
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Theme trail In the footsteps of Peter Rosegger in Eastern Styria | © Stadtmarketing Hartberg | Thomas Grill
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Peter Rosegger memorial in St. Kathrein am Hauenstein, Joglland forest home in Eastern Styria | © Gemeinde St. Kathrein am Hauenstein | Tourismusverband Oststeiermark
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Favorite church_exterior view_Eastern Styria | © Gemeinde St. Kathrein am Hauenstein
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Information board in St. Kathrein am Hauenstein, Joglland forest home in Eastern Styria | © WEGES | Elisabeth Zienitzer/Silvia Sarcletti
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View of St. Kathrein am Hauenstein, Joglland forest home in Eastern Styria | © Oststeiermark Tourismus | Kurt Elmleitner
What the weather will be like
St. Kathrein am Hauenstein (783m)
Mostly dry and sunny throughout the day, but isolated showers will be possible towards evening.
Morning clouds will clear gradually. Then frequent sunny periods.
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