From the Schilcherland car park, you start off relaxed on a hike in the heart of the Schilcher region. Full of verve, you walk through the village of St. Stefan ob Stainz to the municipal office, where you follow the
Greisdorf S 10 marking. You walk through a settlement until the path leads you down to the Lemsitzbach stream. With the pleasant murmur of the stream in your ears, you walk over a forest crest until you reach the Steinbach stream. Take the opportunity to cool your legs and calves in the cool water. This will give you strength for the rest of the route.
You will pass a mill ruin from times long past. And while you are dreaming of the industrious miller by the rushing stream, you don't even notice that you are now heading up a steep section of path into the forest. The rustling of the leaves and the rays of sunlight shining through the dense foliage create an almost mystical atmosphere.
Along with Schilcher and Kernöl, the sweet chestnut is an inseparable part of autumn in Styria. The next stop is a sweet chestnut farm. Amidst the chestnut trees you come to the resting place at Kastanienhof Klug. Here, tables and benches are ready to rest a little. Wine and juices can be taken and enjoyed for a small donation. Don't forget to get a snack in St. Stefan to enjoy here.
To the left ahead is the Hochgrail. There are also beautiful views of the neighbouring vineyards of Grubberg and Neuberg.
After this energising refreshment, continue to the right. At first you are on a paved road, but soon you are on a steadily ascending forest path and you then reach the centre of Greisdorf at the crossroads on the main road.
From here on you know how the hike got its name. Numerous taverns await you to spoil you with hearty snack creations and the wine specialities of the region. Take the time to enjoy.
Full of energy, continue hiking northwards along the pavement of the Landesstraße, pass the Buschenschank Achatz and soon come to the road to Langegg. In the fork of the road, benches invite you to linger and you should take the time to study the information boards and signposts. If you want to go straight to the Buschenschank hotspot of Langegg, take the road to the right. You should not miss the beautiful view from the Kraxner Chapel. Therefore, keep to the signpost S10/11G. After a few metres on the country road, turn right up to the chapel. The impressive Kraxner Chapel, built in 1860, stands at the edge of the forest and is decorated with beautiful figures. A cosy place to linger in the shade. Here, at the highest point of the tour at 646 metres above sea level, you can enjoy the panorama high above the roofs and vineyards of Langegg in the shade of old forest trees and your view extends from the Schöckl to the Demmerkogel. If you have the opportunity to take binoculars with you on the tour, you will appreciate them here.
After you can tear yourself away from the breathtaking view, continue downhill along the trail marked S10 until you reach the hiking trail junction above the Friedrich winery. The S10 hiking trail turns left and leads along the cooling Lemsitzbach stream along a shady forest path to St. Stefan; the trail leads up to the Langegger Buschenschänken taverns on the right.
From now on, keep to the Schilcher-coloured signposts Genussschilchern. From here on, the name of the tour says it all, as the path leads through beautiful vineyards that invite you to dream and linger. Lie down on the grass for a moment and enjoy the energy of the old vines and soak up this magical moment.
After this rest, you will soon come to the Genussschilchernweg junction, where you turn left. Here the course of the hiking trail becomes pleasant again. It leads you leisurely through the hamlet of Edla and very briefly touches the Lestein-Gemeindestraße. Turn right here and after a few hundred metres turn left to the Buschenschank Weingut Trapl. One last opportunity for a glass of refreshing Schilcher before following the Genuss-Schilchern trail sign down to the Lemsitzbach stream, where you meet up with the familiar S10 trail again. You will soon reach St. Stefan again.
After this wonderful tour, it would not be surprising if you decide to spend a night here in this enchanting region, perhaps to tackle the big loop around St. Stefan the next day. There is still plenty to discover in this area.