St. Pongratzen - Kapla Lake - Gravel Bike Dream Tour

Logo St. Pongratzen - Kapla Lake - Gravel Bike Dream Tour
Logo St. Pongratzen - Kapla Lake - Gravel Bike Dream Tour
Tour data
38.87km
317 - 797m
Distance
643hm
687hm
Ascent
03:00h
 
Duration
Brief description
The Pongratzen - Kapla Lake Tour has a lot to offer. Among them an absolute rarity in modern times. Specifically: silence and seclusion.
Difficulty
medium
Rating
Technique
Fitness
Landscape
Experience
Starting point

Eibiswald church square

Route
Eibiswald
Hasewend’s Kirchenwirt
Pfarrkirche Maria im Dorn
0.0 km
Hörmsdorf
1.2 km
Feisternitz
1.9 km
Pongratzen
9.5 km
Izletniška kmetija Landfrid
11.5 km
Brezni Vrh
12.4 km
Kohlberg
23.7 km
Adelsdorf
25.9 km
Tunau
26.8 km
Oberhaag
28.8 km
Gasthaus Temmel-Kollar
28.8 km
Bischofegg
32.1 km
Pitschgau
34.4 km
Romantikhof Kiefer
36.8 km
Hörmsdorf
37.0 km
Eibiswald
38.7 km
Hasewend’s Kirchenwirt
38.8 km
Pfarrkirche Maria im Dorn
38.8 km


Best season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Description
And in a dose that would have been enough for Henry David Thoreau to draw inspiration for his classic Walden - or Life in the Woods. On this mountain bike tour, it would come as no surprise to find foxes and rabbits admiring their reflection in Kapla Lake while reviewing the events of the day.

So what is this tour about? In contrast to numerous cycling tours in Schilcherland, the St. Pongratzen - Kapla See tour does not offer bikers culinary delights and refreshment stops strung together like a string of pearls. Instead, bikers will experience an area that offers pure nature, silence, the best air and wonderful panoramas. In addition, the climb from Lateindorf to St. Pongratzen is quite demanding. And the gravel roads in Slovenia prove to be a tailor-made paradise for gravel bike enthusiasts.

 

The "St. Pongratzen - Kapla Lake Tour - a gravel bike dream tour into seclusion" is the bike tour of your choice if you want to

are looking for a really cool gravel bike tour or want to try out your new gravel bike on the super easy gravel tracks of the Remschnigg, want it to be really quiet and remote for once, are prepared to let this silence have an effect on you and want to combine a short holiday in seclusion with a thoroughly challenging bike tour, love water and want to enjoy the jewel of a natural lake, Lake Kapla, in a completely unsuspected place, want to soak up the "best of both worlds" on this mountain bike or e-bike tour, namely the incomparable view from St. Pongratzen into south-western Styria as well as the view on the Slovenian side of the Pohorje mountains and over towards the Styrian Alps. look for a panorama-intensive flow downhill, which on this tour leads from the border crossing at Kapla back down to Unterhaag, want to make a short detour from the tour over to the mini-village of Kapla and enjoy a super espresso and small snack in the shade of the church in the legendary Bar Olga.
Directions

Start from the starting point at the church in Eibiswald in an easterly direction and follow the route via Hörmsdorf, Feisternitz and the Feisternitzberg (short, poisonous climb) to Oberlatein.
From Oberlatein you start the beautiful, physically demanding climb to St. Pongratzen (around 400 metres of ascent).
At the latest on the small plateau below the church at Gasthof Legat, you should take a break as a cycling holidaymaker and enjoy the fantastic view of south-western Styria.
From the Legat Inn, we recommend a detour to the St. Pongratzen Church, which can be reached via a hiking trail (only on foot) or a very steep forest path (also possible by bike). If you are lucky, the south-facing door to the church tower is open. In this case, you can climb the observation platform of the church tower and have a 360-degree panoramic view of southern Styria and Slovenia from there.
From Gasthaus Legat, you then follow the gravel road around the St. Pongratzen-Kogel to the Oberhaag border crossing.
From there, a wonderful panoramic section begins in a southerly direction, offering fantastic views of the Pohorje Mountains and across to the Steiner Alps.
After a short, winding gravel downhill, take a sharp left and follow the gravel road to Kapla Lake or "Odomovo jezero".
From Kapla Lake, follow the asphalt road to the crossroads below the small village of Kapla, which can be recognised south of the trail by a small cluster of houses and the church tower.
It pays to make a detour into the village and just chill somewhere in the shade or enjoy a very good espresso in the Bar Olga.
Via the Kapla border crossing (tip: the south-facing bench at the barn directly at the border crossing is a real power spot.) you ride back to the Austrian side and enjoy the asphalted downhill from Remschnigg over Kohlberg to Unterhaag.On the cycle path from Unterhaag back to Eibiswald there is time to reflect on the tour mentally and emotionally.

Highest point
797 m
Endpoint

Eibiswald church square

Height profile

Equipment
The tour runs on asphalt and gravel. You will need a bike suitable for the mountains (gravel bike or mountain bike).

 

Check your bike after each tour for air pressure, spoke tension and brake pads.

A helmet is a must for every bike tour.

Consider beforehand what equipment you need to take with you: warm clothing, rain and wind protection, a repair kit and first aid kit should be in your rucksack, as well as a charged mobile phone.

 

Safety instructions
Always drive at a controlled speed and at half visibility, especially on bends, as obstacles can be expected at any time (e.g. road damage, stones, branches, temporarily stored wood, grazing livestock, grazing grids, barriers, tractor-forestry machines, authorised persons' vehicles). Be considerate of other people, walkers and pedestrians. Only overtake at walking pace! Be aware of the difficulty of the route, accurately assess your experience and ability as a biker! Protect your head with a helmet and check your equipment (brakes, bell, lights) before every bike tour! Keep to barriers and please accept that some paths are primarily used for agricultural and forestry purposes! Be considerate of nature and wildlife, do not leave the marked route, refrain from riding off the open paths and finish your bike tour before dusk. Please do not leave any litter behind.

 

Attention: No liability! (*)

 

*) Mountain biking is a risky sport! The landowners, the Eibiswald cycling club, tourism association and municipalities accept no liability!

Some tours (see description) are "pure nature", the forest paths lead over roots, stones, streams, are partly washed out and are not maintained. Pushing and carrying passages are necessary depending on ability. We recommend private accident insurance or membership of the Alpine Club. Have fun!

 

Tips

The lookout tower of the church in St. Pongratzen is a must to climb, incredible distant views!

Additional information
Map with all mountain bike tours available at the businesses and at the Schilcherland Eibiswald-Wies tourist office!

Tip: the Styria Tours App, available free of charge on Google Play and in the App Store (Android, iOS) offers detailed first-hand information: short facts (length, duration, difficulty, ascent and descent in altitude metres, ratings), map, route descriptions, altimeter, compass, summit finder, navigation along the tour. In addition, you can create your personal list of favourite tours and points, save tours and excursion destinations offline, play on social media channels and more.


Arrival
Plan your journey via Google Maps to the starting point of the tour: www.google.at/maps

 

Directions from Graz / Vienna to Lieboch:

Take the motorway towards Graz (A2) to the Lieboch exit. Continue on the B76 in the direction of Eibiswald.

 

Directions from Carinthia:

On the motorway in the direction of Klagenfurt (A2) as far as the Lieboch exit. Continue on the B76 in the direction of Eibiswald.

 

Directions from Leibnitz:

Drive via Arnfels, Oberhaag to Eibiswald.

 

Directions from Slovenia/Eibiswald:

Drive over the Radlpass on the B76 towards Eibiswald.

Public transportation
 With ÖBB to Wies, then by bus or guest taxi to Eibiswald and Soboth.

ÖBB www.oebb.at or Verbundlinie Steiermark www.busbahnbim.at

With the BusBahnBim app of the Verbundlinie, timetable information has never been easier: all connections by bus, train and tram in Austria can be queried by entering places and / or addresses, stops or important points. The app is available as a free app for smartphones (Android, iOS) - on Google Play and in the App Store.

Parking
There is ample parking near the church square.

Plan directions via Google Maps to a nearby car park for the tour.

www.google.at/maps


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General info

Refreshment stop
A lot of view
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