The beauty is in the details - from the historic town of Friedberg to well-tended cultivated areas to the Hilmtor, the former gathering place for grazing animals.
The municipality of Friedberg, which has about 2,600 inhabitants, is located near the border triangle of Styria-Lower Austria-Burgenland and surprises with one of the most beautiful closed medieval main squares in Styria. Through the hike you can get to know the town and its surroundings - across the bear ditch, along meadows and forests, through small villages to a lovingly designed resting place, the Hilmtor at 996 meters. The tour ends at the adventure hill, a playground and recreation area with a great view.
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Approach - By car
- via the Southern Motorway (A2) to the exit Pinggau
- at the traffic circle 3rd exit
- along B54 direction Graz/Hartberg
- along Steinamangerer street
- turn left onto main square Pinggau
- follow Grazer street until main square Friedberg
There are inadequate markings at a few crossings in the terrain, otherwise marked throughout.
- start at the main square in Frieberg
- follow the Erlebnisberg-Friedberg signs into a narrow lane
- continue left past the Stadtbeisl until you reach a small square with a fountain
- now it goes slightly downhill and you reach the access road to the center
- at the corner there are numerous green signs and also yellow signposts
- now head in the direction of Bärengraben (trail no. 927)
- a short stretch along the road slightly uphill and then directly past the back of a former retirement home
- the attractive footpath through the Bärengraben begins just behind the house
- follow the path upstream to the Bärenwiese rest area
- continue uphill a little steeper until you reach the edge of the meadow where the path continues at a leisurely pace
- at a group of trees there is a red-white-red marking, turn left across the meadow to Schwaighof
- through the village slightly uphill, turn left at the church and continue to the crossroads at SAM station HF4716
- turn right and follow the road uphill until you reach the built-up area, where you come to a hiking trail junction
- continue straight ahead (trail no. 927) past the Panormastüberl
- to the end of Schwaighof and uphill along the road for a while until the hiking trail continues on a field path on the left
- continue flat for the time being, then turn right and follow the paths and forest tracks continuously uphill until you reach a farm
- uphill along the asphalt road and then along a level path to the Hilmtor gate
- turn right towards Wagnerkreuz through the forest until you reach a house
- continue on an asphalt road that leads slightly downhill to a crossroads (Wagnerkreuz/Schwaighof)
- leave the asphalt road and continue left towards Wagnerkreuz until you reach a few houses
- at the crossroads, turn right downhill
- after approx. 200 m, turn left across the meadow, you can see the red-white-red marking on the trees in the distance
- the descent leads across the meadow past the Bartl-cross to the crossroads with the Wagner-cross
- continue straight ahead on the road, past a few houses and a game reserve
- until you reach the turn-off to the right at the edge of the forest in the direction of Friedberg
- the path leads slightly downhill to a farm, keep left there
- immediately afterwards you reach the adventure hill with children's playground and viewing platform
- from there it is only a short descent along the edge of the meadow downhill to the center of Friedberg
- At the end of the hike we recommend a visit to the family-run Pizzeria Gruber, where you can enjoy a Styrian pizza.
- Or visit the unique Thonet Museum in Friedberg, where bentwood furniture was produced until 2006. (ATTENTION opening hours: Sundays from 14:00 to 16:00 or by telephone arrangement).
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Hilmtor rest area, municipality of Dechantskirchen in Eastern Styria | © Oststeiermark Tourismus | Pollhammer
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Signpost bear ditch, municipality of Friedberg in Eastern Styria | © Oststeiermark Tourismus | WEGES
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Hilmtor liquor bar, municipality of Dechantskirchen in Eastern Styria | © Oststeiermark Tourismus | Anja Reichenbäck
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Hilmtor woodcarving, municipality of Dechantskirchen in Eastern Styria | © Oststeiermark Tourismus | Anja Reichenbäck
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Wagner Cross, municipality of Friedberg in Eastern Styria | © Oststeiermark Tourismus | Anja Reichenbäck
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Adventure hill tower, municipality Friedberg in Eastern Styria | © Oststeiermark Tourismus | Anja Reichenbäck
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View from the adventure hill, municipality Friedberg in Eastern Styria | © Oststeiermark Tourismus | Flotoanker
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Adventure hill loveplace, municipality Friedberg in Eastern Styria | © Oststeiermark Tourismus | Anja Reichenbäck
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Adventure hill playground, municipality Friedberg in Eastern Styria | © Oststeiermark Tourismus | Anja Reichenbäck
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Wechselland herbal region logo | Oststeiermark Tourismus
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