Hiking Styria

From industrial monument to Styrian natural jewel

The scenic beauty of the area around the Grüner See is breathtaking at any time of the year - but this tour is particularly inspiring in autumn.(Bild: Weges)

This time, "Krone" hiking experts Elisabeth Zienitzer and Silvia Sarcletti present a long-distance hike that promises nothing but delivers a lot: from Radwerk IV in Vordernberg to Tragöß and on to the beautiful Grüner See lake.

The art of choosing the right hike is to find the right tour for the right day. Especially now, when we have to get used to the cool autumn temperatures, routes in the forest are ideal. Sometimes "wandering along" on easy paths does you a world of good. What seems rather boring at first glance only becomes interesting on closer inspection.

Pure idyll(Bild: Weges)

The route from Vordernberg to Tragöß leads along paved roads and wide hiking trails, so that we can concentrate on the surroundings, the forests, the rushing streams and, above all, on ourselves as we walk.

Conclusion: step by step and thought by thought, a relaxing hike.

Facts & figures

• Hiking data: 14 km / 510 m uphill and 580 m downhill / walking time approx. 4.30 h.
• Requirements: easy hike on paved roads and wide hiking trails.
• Signposting system: red-white-red markings, Mariazeller Gründerweg, trail no. 873 and 835, GPX track advantageous.
• Starting and finishing point: Vordernberg (from Leoben bus 820); Tragöß-Oberort Grüner See/ parking lot to Bruck/Mur (bus 175).
• Refreshment stops: in Vordernberg Schwarzer Adler, 03849/264; on the pass between Tragöß and Trofaiach Gasthaus Hiaslegg, 03868/ 8398; at Grüner See Seehof, 0699/11491720 and Hoamat-Kaffee, 0676/9466562.
• Questions and suggestions: WEGES - Silvia and Elisabeth, 0650/2611119, weg-es.at, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube: wegesaktiv.

We start in Vordernberg (839 m) and see the signpost for Hiaslegg near Radwerk IV. We follow the Rötzstraße road under a railroad bridge and leave the populated area after just a few meters.

Radwerk IV in Vordernberg is the only charcoal blast furnace in the world that has been preserved in its original state.(Bild: Weges)

The pilgrims' and hiking trail leads uphill along a gravel road - very steep in places. Shortly after the first clearing (vlg. Brandstetter), we reach the Hohe Rötz crossing (1064 m). We walk downhill along the road and continue straight ahead in a right-hand bend on the wide footpath and mountain bike trail, which leads downhill into the Rötzgraben.

The two "Krone" hiking experts(Bild: Weges)

We follow the road for the next 300 meters to the pass crossing and the Hiaslegg inn (1154 m). We walk along the road towards Tragöß for a while until we see the signs on the left and take the hiking trail downhill.

At the bottom of the valley, we pass the Kreuzteich pond until we reach the Grüner See lake (776 m) and the bus stop at the large parking lot.