Styrian Wine Country Cycle Trail

Cycling through vineyards and orchards

One thing’s for certain: if you like your food and drink, this is the trail for you. Surrounded by vineyards, apple orchards and a beautiful backdrop, you’re sure to get a taste of Styria on the Styrian Wine Country Cycle Trail. But that’s not all: you’ll also discover culture, thermal spas and pumpkin seed oil. The trail leads through the vineyards of Southern and Eastern Styria to wine merchants, vineyards and wine taverns. The trail leads through the vineyards of Southern and Eastern Styria to wine merchants, vineyards and wine taverns. It’s a real Mecca for all those who love cycling and wine. And because the trail is a circuit, you can start your journey anywhere.

The section through Eastern Styria d from St. Ruprecht and der Raab to the historic town of Hartberg is defined by wine and apples. Beautiful apple orchards welcome cyclists to Austria’s largest apple-growing region. Around 85% of Austrian apples (185,000 tonnes) are harvested here every year. A visit to the Haus des Apfels, an apple museum, in Puch bei Weiz is an absolute must, as is a visit to the Stubenbergsee, a lake just a few kilometres further. The section through Thermen- & Vulkanland from Hartberg to the thermal spa in Loipersdorf and on to Bad Radkersburg is perfect for those who appreciate the finer things in life.

Wine merchants, like those in St. Anna am Aigen and Klöch offer a chance to stop-off and taste the local produce. The many little “wine islands” in the southeast of Styria are a feast for both the eyes and the palate. The traditional wine taverns along the trail tempt cyclists with delicious snacks, including vegetarian and vegan options, while the six thermal spas give bikers a chance to put their feet up and enjoy a healthy, soothing break. One of the visual highlights is the thermal spa of Rogner Bad Blumau, which was designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

But a gastronomic trip to Styria would be nothing without the famous “green gold”. From Bad Radkersburg, the Styrian Wine Country Cycle Trail leads across sections of the famous Styrian Wine Route to Deutschlandsberg in Schilcher Wine Country and through the pumpkin fields and oil mills in the home of the famous pumpkin seed oil. A visit to a viewing pumpkin seed oil mill is recommended for anyone who wants to find out more about pumpkin seed oil and its production. Many, including the mill run by Thomas Hartlieb, are located directly on the cycle trail. But there’s no shortage of culture on this trail either: there are castles, palaces and churches of pilgrimage all the way from Deutschlandsberg and Graz, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and City of Design, and on to the Roman Wine Route by St. Ruprecht an der Raab in the heart of Eastern Styria.