Fürstenstand - head up high

From the Graz Region Tourist Information, walk to Hauptplatz and take tram line 1 towards Eggenberg. Hiking trail 5 leads from there to the Fürstenstand. Follow Nothelferweg through an idyllic residential area and Bergstraße to Schloss Algersdorf, whose roots date back to the 11th century. The path to the hermitage, which is reminiscent of a once popular excursion inn for the people of Graz, starts behind the castle. At the hermitage cave, take a sharp left onto the well-marked hiking trail that leads steeply up the mountain through the forest. Attention, good footwear is a must here, especially if it has been raining! Attention should also be paid to the signs indicating the “Knight Rider” mountain bike trail, which may not be used by hikers. The hiking route itself is well marked and after a long, partly steep uphill section leads you to the Plabutsch and the Fürstenstand at 758 m. At the moment (as of September 2022), there is no access to the platform, the mountain tavern is planned to be restored and reopened in a few months. It is therefore advisable to bring your own food. How about, for example, the Graz picnic rucksack – fi lled with selected specialities from agricultural production? There are many ways down, so you’d better not gossip too much, otherwise you might end up taking the forest road towards Thal, making for a beautiful but also signifi cantly longer excursion to Thalersee! Take a rather steep path below the game reserve under the Fürstenstand, follow hiking trail 2a down to Gösting, where the bus stop for bus route 40 is located.

View over Graz, can be ideally combined with a visit to Eggenberg Palace.

Getting there: Tram line 1 from Hauptplatz to the Alt-Eggenberg stop

Getting back: Bus 40 from Gösting

Paid parking near the starting point.

Essen & Trinken

• Gasthaus Kreuzwirt 
• Genuss-Picknick-Rucksack vom Gut Schlossberg
• Gasthaus zur Sonne