Friesach – Ferstlhöhe – Gratkorn
The great wide world at your doorstep: a short hike for those who simply want to get away and take the air. As a bonus, you can find treasures here from the whole wide world.
This two-hour hike to Gratkorn (or five hours to the starting point) takes you through woods, meadows and forest paths, past refreshment points and townships. There’s a whole world for hikers to discover on this tour.
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Via motorway A9 (exit Peggau–Deutschfeistritz junction), exit Gratkorn–Nord, and follow the federal road B 67 in the direction of Semriach to the Weingrill inn car park.
The starting point is the bus stop at the Weingrill inn in Friesach (line 140: Semriach–Friesach–Gratkorn–Graz). From here, take the Petschenweg path (no. 6; Jasen–Höchwirt inn–Scherwirt inn) in a south-easterly direction. After passing a number of houses keep right, and after an extended stretch of woodland and meadows you’ll reach a forest road. Keep to it going left towards the Ferstlhöhe hill and march eastwards on trail no. 6/8. Wander through the town of Jasen to the Höchwirt inn. You can detour for a quarter of an hour via trail no. 7 to the Tropical Exhibition before going back to Gratkorn. Trail no. 8a leads from the Höchwirt inn (Weissegg–St Stefan/Gratkorn) to the road sign for Gratkorn. From here, follow Raiffeisenweg towards the south. Turn right and westwards at the St Stefan fire station to reach Kirchplatz square. From here you can take a taxi or public means of transport back to Friesach.
If you wish to venture the way back to Friesach on foot, walk along the main street of Gratkorn past the culture centre and the nature-protected Zigeunerloch cave. This is the habitat of the rare rock dove. Because of prehistoric finds the cave is closed to the public. Walk directly to Friesach along the Mur river or on the foot and cycle path along the federal road.
A must-see is the Tropical Exhibition in Gratkorn: 1,100 objects from South Asia, India, Africa and Latin America collected on world trips are lovingly presented during guided tours.
Hikers can easily arrive without a car by using bus or train services. The frequent S1 trains between Graz and Bruck/Mur make reaching OberGraz easy.
(Kleinstübing railway station / approx. 25-min. walk to starting point; departure point: bus stop Gratwein–Gratkorn railway station / approx. 20-min. walk from end point).
More details on train and bus connections: www.verbundlinie.at and www.oebb.at
Arrival and departure by bus: bus stop at Weingrill inn, line 140 (Semriach–Friesach–Gratkorn–Graz)
If you’re in Gratkorn and don’t want to return to Friesach you can use public service transport to get to the starting point: bus stop Dr.-Karl-Renner-Strasse; lines 140 (Semriach–Friesach–Gratkorn–Graz) and 100 (Graz–Bruck); or bus stop St Stefan Schulgasse, line 110 (Graz–Gratkorn–Gratwein–(Hörgas)–Rein–Enzenbach)
Parking is permitted at the Weingrill inn car park.
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Abzweigung im Bereich der Ferstlhöhe Richtung Gratkorn | © Region Graz | Markus Windisch
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Aussicht auf Friesach | © Region Graz | Markus Windisch
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Eispause (c) TV Region Graz-Mias PhotoArt | © Region Graz | Meike Brucher
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Konditorei Handl in Gratkorn (c) TV Region Graz-Mias Photoart | © Region Graz | Meike Brucher
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friesach - ferstlhöhe - gratkorn_img_27211801 | © Region Graz | Meike Brucher
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Blick Naturschutzgebiet Freßnitz (c) Werner Gasser | © Region Graz | Meike Brucher
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Kapelle Freßnitz (c) Werner Gasser | © Region Graz | Meike Brucher
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Rastplatz Gratkorn Nord (c) Werner Gasser | © Region Graz | Meike Brucher
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friesach - ferstlhöhe - gratkorn_img_27212094 | © Region Graz | Meike Brucher
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Kreisverkehr Gratkorn Nord (c) Werner Gasser | © Region Graz | Meike Brucher
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Zigeunerloch (c) Werner Gasser | © Region Graz | Meike Brucher
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Zigeunerhöhle in Gratkorn (c) TV Region Graz-Mias PhotoArt | © Region Graz | Meike Brucher
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Wandern durch Wald und Wiesen (c) TV Region Graz-Mias PhotoArt | © Region Graz | Meike Brucher
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Abkühlung? (c)TV Region Graz-Mias PhotoArt | © Region Graz | Meike Brucher
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Proviant für unterwegs ist sinnvoll(c)TV Region Graz-Mias PhotoArt | © Region Graz | Meike Brucher
What the weather will be like
Gratkorn (392m)
Dry and bright with plenty of sunshine, clouds will be rare.
Fairly sunny with scattered clouds. Showers will be possible towards evening.
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