Hiking route Culm Way - Touren-Impression #1 | © Oststeiermark Tourismus Hiking route Culm Way - Touren-Impression #1 | © Oststeiermark Tourismus

Culm Way

The hike leads from the Stubenbergsee lake up almost to the Kulm summit. Fantastic views of Eastern Styria and several refreshment stops await along the way.

The Kulm is a 975 metre high mountain on the western shore of Lake Stubenberg. The striking, cone-shaped mountain lies in the middle of Eastern Styria and is a good landmark. The name, which is probably derived from the Urslavic ‘chlm’, also refers to the conical shape.  An urn field culture from the late Bronze Age was discovered on the summit plateau, and the way of life and living conditions of the Celts can be seen today in the Kulm Celtic village. The Kulm with its baroque Calvary complex at the summit is a popular excursion destination today, mainly due to its unobstructed panoramic views.

The trail first leads across meadows and along fields, in the upper section also through the forest with some quite steep passages. From the plateau, you should definitely make the short detour up to the Kulmkögerlkreuz, a lovely resting place with a view down into the Feistritzklamm gorge. Immediately after the Schnitzelwirt inn, you can continue right up the road and reach the summit after approx. 2 kilometres.

Otherwise, the way back leads in a southerly direction, mainly on meadow paths and side roads, back down to the lake and along the Feistritz back to the starting point.

The path is easy to walk, but has some very steep sections!

Characteristics

Skill
Fitness

Best season

January
February
March
December

The tour in numbers

easy
Level of difficulty
8,5 km
Route
4:00 h
Time
505 hm
Uphill
505 hm
Downhill
884 m
Highest point

Map & downloads

More information

Coming from Vienna: Take the south motorway (A2) to the Hartberg exit - via the main road (B54) in the direction of Graz - 2 km after Kaindorf turn off in the direction of Graz towards ApfelLand-Stubenbergsee

Coming from Salzburg/Germany: Motorway via Salzburg - Pyhrnautobahn (A9) to Graz - continue via the Südautobahn in the direction of Vienna (A2) to the Gleisdorf West exit - main road (B54) to Kaibing - ApfelLand-Stubenbergsee.

Go to Google Maps to calculate the journey.

The path is signposted throughout with ‘Weg-Nr. 32/Kulmweg’, in the forest we orientate ourselves by the red-white-red markings.

If you don't want to walk back, you can order a SAM shared taxi to the ‘Schnitzelwirt’/WZ 2214.

Please check the opening hours of the restaurants BEFORE the hike.

Start: Stubenbergsee Weststrand, information board by the Feistritzbrücke bridge

We start at the large information board, path no. 31/Kulmweg leads us out to the left.
The path leads along the edge of the path, with the Stubenbergsee lake below on the left.
Immediately after the high seat, we turn right up to the road.
At the top of the road, we keep right and after about 50 metres we turn left up into the forest.
When we reach the meadow, we turn right uphill, past several viewing benches with views down to the lake.
We turn right out onto the main road and have now arrived at GH Windhaber. There is a lovely garden here with a view.
We continue uphill along the road and turn right at the next junction.
Before the end of the village sign, we turn left uphill onto the hiking trail.
We continue left on the tarmac road, after a few steps we turn right again onto the hiking trail, which leads past two resting benches.
Back on the tarmac road, we turn left and pass a beautiful wayside shrine.
Immediately after the bend, we continue left along the driveway and then straight up across the meadow.
At the tarmac road we turn left and after approx. 100 metres we turn right into the forest.
The next section of the path now leads us through the forest, briefly across a meadow and then uphill along the forest road.
We are now already at the top of the ridge and take a short detour to the ‘Kulmkögerl’, a crossroads with benches and a view. (Marking: ‘Kögerlrundweg’)
We take the few steps back onto the ‘Kulmweg’ and continue almost level to the right. We are now accompanied by the modern Stations of the Cross and have beautiful views of Lake Stubenberg.
We pass a rest area with a wayside cross and pass the ‘Schnitzelwirt’ inn.

If you want to walk to the Kulm summit, turn right up the road at the crossroads. The summit is reached after approx. 1.5 km.
At the road junction, we continue downhill to the left and then immediately turn left downhill into the meadow (the entrance is difficult to see here!).
We walk steeply downhill across the meadow and then turn right into the forest.
We come to the tarmac road, walk downhill for a short distance and turn right into the forest again before the houses.
In the forest, we walk a short stretch parallel to the road, and just before the farmstead we go straight down across the meadow.
We descend a few steps and then immediately turn right onto the wide farm track.
The path now leads us down to the left, directly towards the farmsteads at Freienbergdörfl.
Once we reach the tarmac road, we continue to the right.
At the next crossroads, we turn left and continue along the road.
After the large orchard, we turn left onto the hiking trail and walk along the forest edge.
Shortly before the end of the forest, we turn left into the forest.
In the forest, we walk downhill to the tarmac road and continue on this road to the left.
We now walk downhill on the tarmac road to the Feistritz or Stubenbergsee lake.
There we turn left onto the path and walk parallel to the Feistritz or Stubenbergsee back to the Feistritzbrücke bridge, our starting point.

Plan a stop at GH Windhaber on the way up, you won't be able to avoid the terrace with its fantastic lake view anyway.

Timetables and travel information can be found at Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB) or at Verkehrsauskunft Verbundlinie.
For local transport we recommend the SAM collective taxi Eastern Styria.

Lake car park

Please note that all car parks around the Stubenbergsee are subject to a charge.

To the car park regulations

Information about the region, places to stop and stay overnight, excursion destinations etc:

Eastern Styria Tourist Board
ApfelLand-Stubenbergsee office
8223 Stubenberg am See 5

Tel:+43 3176 8882
www.apfelland.info
www.oststeiermark.com
Current weather
Mobility in Eastern Styria with SAM shared cab

Find out about hiking maps, cycling maps, excursion destination maps and other tour tips at the tourist office. You can also order information material on our website from the comfort of your own home.
 

Gallery

What the weather will be like

Stubenberg (443m)

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Noon
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Night
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The day will be dry, but mostly cloudy with occasional sunny spells.
Morning
very sunny
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Night
very sunny
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Dry and sunny throughout the day with hardly any clouds.
06.12.2024
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07.12.2024
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