A plethora of fruit on gently rolling hills
Apfelland-Stubenbergsee
Austria’s largest orchard lies in the midst of Eastern Styria, in the ApfelLand-Stubenbergsee region to be exact. Here the apple above all else symbolises a long-standing orcharding tradition.
The land around the “Holy Rigi”, as the Kulm with a height of nearly a thousand metres is also know, was already popular among the Celts. Archaeological excavations around the Kulm, presented in the “Kulmkeltendorf” Celtic village built especially for the purpose, attest to that. Later the Romans cultivated wine, among other things, on this fertile land. Numerous farmers joined forces to strengthen the regional economy and promote the beauty of local fruit growing. Following in their footsteps, the Styrian Apple Route and the Eastern Styria’s Roman Wine Road invites you to follow their tracks on a culinary journey of discovery. The ApfelLand was popular in medieval times as well. Numerous castles and palaces bear witness to that. There are five in the village of Stubenberg alone.
Central Europe’s largest artificial swimming lake with an expanse of water measuring around 40 ha was created here half a century ago. The Stubenbergsee is fed by the Feistritz. Its already clear water is filtered by an especially constructed filtration system before entering the lake. Enjoy your stay between apple blossoms, castles and the swimming lake. Sunrise and sunset on the Kulm is always worth the hike, and so is a bicycle tour along the Feistritztal cycling trail.
Take a break at a Styrian wine bar, perhaps after visiting the wildlife and the historic gardens of Herberstein Castle. Enjoy a ride on the Feistritztalbahn pulled by a historic steam locomotive and much more. Come for a visit to Austria’s largest orchard.