Masenberg forest nature trail - long variant, Pöllau

... whose stations are explained in videos or on boards along the way.

There is a long and a short version of the forest nature trail. The longer version (approx. 8 km, approx. 3 hours pure walking time) starts at the Hotel Muhr and is divided into the following stages (see route description):

Hotel Muhr - Zisser Taverne (former inn)  Grünauer LüßwaldsattelLüßwaldsattel - Dorfhanslkapelle chapel Dorfhansl Chapel - Hotel Muhr

The short variant starts at the refuge on the Masenberg.

In addition to a separate brochure, there is also an interactive video guide for smartphones. It is advisable to install the videos on your device beforehand. Information can be obtained from the tourist office on tel. 03335 4210 and the Pöllauer Tal Nature Park Association on tel. 03335 3740. Video downloads on "youtube" (keyword Videolehrweg) or using the QR code on the information board and folder.

Hotel Muhr - Zisser Tavern - Grünauer The forest nature trail starts at Hotel Muhr (long route: 8 km, approx. 4 hours - pure walking time approx. 3 hours), which is marked with blue dots. A display board at the parking lot provides an overview of the route of the forest nature trail, which we follow to the Zisser Taverne (former inn). It first leads us through the forest and then along a forest road past the Hirschalm hut, where we come across station 2 of the forest nature trail. Walking uphill, we reach the Zisser Taverne (municipality of Pöllau/Sonnhofen) and come to a crossroads. We turn right towards Masenberg and continue to follow the blue dots. Finally, after turning right again into an ascending municipal road, we reach the Grünauer Wegkreuz and station 3 of the forest nature trail.

Grünauer cross - Lüßwaldsattel

After this station, we walk along the edge of the forest and then along a forest path to station 4. The gentle path climbs steadily and we reach a property where the view opens up towards Stuhleck and Wechsel as well as the Vorau basin. Station 5 invites us to sharpen our senses again. The path leads back into the forest and, after a short downhill section, we reach the striking Lüßwaldsattel junction.

Lüßwaldsattel - Dorfhansl chapel

Once at the Lüßwaldsattel, we follow trail no. 941 in the direction of Pöllau and the "Waldlehrpfad" sign. The well-maintained forest path, which is also marked with blue and yellow dots, takes us to the Dorfhanslkapelle chapel, just behind the signpost, in about 15 minutes. From here, the shorter trail (yellow dots) of the forest nature trail leads up to the starting point on the Masenberg, the longer trail (blue dots) continues to the Hotel Muhr, which we follow.

Dorfhansl chapel - Hotel Muhr

Once we reach the signpost, we follow the red-white-red markings no. 941 in a westerly direction towards Pöllau and the blue dot. After the Dorfhansl estate, the path runs downhill along the edge of the forest, past the turn-off towards Zeilkratzer and Pöllauberg and takes us past a few houses onto a flat section of asphalt road, which we follow. After a sharp right-hand bend, the view of the Pöllau valley slowly opens up. Finally, the access road joins the municipal road at a large weather cross and we hike downhill. At the next signpost after a few meters, we turn right. We continue to follow the forest nature trail and walk slightly downhill along the access road until the path leads us left into the forest. We continue slightly downhill along the high trail and reach the "Panoramablick Pöllauberg" viewpoint with the last stop on the forest nature trail. We turn off here towards Hotel Muhr and thus reach our starting point.

Pöllauberg, Hotel Muhr