Ruprecht village and culture tour

Name: Ruprecht village and culture tour
Brand: Steiermark
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)

The circular route through one of the oldest villages in Styria gives us an insight into the moving history of St. Ruprecht an der Raab in the heart of eastern Styria, going back many centuries.

Ideally suited as an introduction to a holiday in St. Ruprecht an der Raab or as an evening walk after a hard day's work, the walk takes us through Sankt Ruprecht an der Raab, which was still called ad Rapam when it was first mentioned in 860. Emperor Friedrich III elevated the town to the status of a market on 1 September 1462. In addition to the numerous sights, it is also immediately noticeable that St. Ruprecht an der Raab is a very young community - with regard to the average age of the inhabitants - which is also reflected in the lifestyle of the people.

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

Best season

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

The tour in numbers

4,1 km

Route

1:30 h

Time

32 hm

Uphill

32 hm

Downhill

391 m

Highest point

Map & downloads

Download GPX data

Download KML data

More information

The market town of St.Ruprecht is located in Eastern Styria and is easily accessible via the A2 motorway from Vienna (approx. 2 hours) and Graz (approx. 30 minutes).

Arrival from Vienna and from Graz:

On the A2 coming from Vienna and from Graz, take motorway exit 161 / Gleisdorf West in the direction of B54/B64. Follow the B65 / Gleisdorf federal road until you reach the B54 / Wechselbundesstraße. At the roundabout take the second exit to the B64 / Rechberg-Bundesstraße. After about 6 km turn left to St. Ruprecht an der Raab.

Route planner

We begin our tour at the baroque church of St. Ruprecht an der Raab. The interior of the church with its 7 altars is largely from the late Baroque period. On the high altar hangs the 18th century image of the church's patron saint, St. Rupert. The four wall altars in the side chapels are remarkable, as is the lavishly and figuratively decorated pulpit.
In the vault under the stairs of the church lies our second point of the cultural tour - the Grotto of Peace. At its centre is a statue of the Virgin Mary by the well-known Ruprecht carver Hans Pendl, which forms a harmonious whole with an original wooden cross from the pilgrimage site of Medjugorje. Dimmed light and soft music invite you to inner contemplation.
Then we cross the street and walk on via Locker & Légere, Spar Markt and Marktheurigen Strobl to turn into Raaballee just before a bridge. The Raab, with its source in the Almenland Nature Park, is one of the most important lifelines of eastern Styria and western Hungary.
After a few hundred metres, keep to the right and continue along the settlement road to reach the sports facilities and school centre of St. Ruprecht an der Raab. We bypass this and return to the village road, where we see the hospital cross on the left.
The hospital cross is also the starting point of the Way of the Cross to the pilgrimage church of Breitegg, which is also well worth seeing. The cross itself is actually a street chapel dating from around 1714. It features a stately wayside shrine enclosing a group of crosses attributed to the Graz sculptor Marx Schokotnigg. This is framed by baroque fresco paintings.
Now we return to the main square below the church, in the centre of which stands the Marian column and which is always lavishly decorated according to the season.
Then we walk south along the main street to the music school of St. Ruprecht an der Raab where physics is on the agenda: The Foucault pendulum, the only one in the world to have been erected outdoors, vividly demonstrates the rotation of the earth at a height of eight metres.
Right next to it is the park, which invites visitors to linger and rest. It was created in 1888 and named the "Emperor's Garden". The intention was to pay homage to Emperor Franz Joseph's 40th anniversary on the throne. Today the park is used for festivities and, with its old pavilion, especially in summer for the "Theatre in the Park". For some years now there has also been a children's playground in the south of the park, which is very popular with the locals.
For those who have a little more time, an excursion to Stefanieqelle is worthwhile from here. Always follow the yellow hiking trail markings "Burgthanner Weg".
After the park, we walk towards the southern end of the village to Locker Pond. First we cross a bridge and walk past the river and Flussbad adventure pool of St. Ruprecht an der Raab.
Opposite the Flussbad is also the Garten-Hotel Ochensberger with its wine bar, which invites you to linger. Around 44 winegrowers present their best products here. A stop at the assortment of predominantly Styrian wines combined with regional delicacies and delicacies is almost a must.
The Locker Pond is a cosy spot at the southern end of the village. It was still used for small trips with rowing boats in the heyday of the summer resort. Today it is a meeting place for many anglers and fishermen.
From Locker Pond we walk back towards the centre of St. Ruprecht an der Raab. Here we take Bahnhofstraße - probably one of the most beautiful streets in St. Ruprecht an der Raab - past beautiful villas, and make a detour to the Cafe - Eissalon Azzurro. Many different homemade ice creams, Italian dishes and above all a large children's playground for the little ones await us here.
From the Azzurro we walk north again along Bahnhofweg until we reach Gartengasse. There we turn left in the direction of the church, cross a bridge over the Weizbach and then pass the fire brigade and come directly back to the main square of St. Ruprecht an der Raab where our cultural tour ends.

You can find refreshment in the numerous restaurants in St. Ruprecht an der Raab.

Timetables and travel information can be found at Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB) or at Verkehrsauskunft Verbundlinie.

For local transportation we recommend the SAM-Sammeltaxi Oststeiermark.

There are several parking spaces available on the main square in St. Ruprecht. Alternatively, about 150 m away, past the Hotel Locker & Legere and the Marktheurigen Strobl, there are numerous parking spaces at the large park in the middle of St. Ruprecht an der Raab.

Information about the region, places to stop and stay, excursion destinations etc. can be found here:

Eastern Styria Tourist Board

St. Ruprecht an der Raab office

Lower main road 27

8181 St. Ruprecht an der Raab

Tel. +43 664 2353414

www.oststeiermark.com

ruprecht@oststeiermark.com

Current weather

Find out about maps, hiking brochures and other tour tips at the tourist office.

You can also order information material on our website from the comfort of your own home.