Stage 33 From Glacier to Wine North Route Fehring - Bad Gleichenberg

On this stage of the hiking route "From Glacier to Wine" we leave the historic small town of Fehring in the Raab Valley in a southerly direction past the fire station and along Sinzingergasse. At the sign "Vulkanarena Fehring" we turn right into the forest and soon come to the geomantic power place Vulkanarena. The power and the pleasure not enough, invite us on this tour also repeatedly Buschenschänken to stop. Then we keep to the right on the road and come to the Kuruzzenschenke of the Konrad Winery, where we head straight into the forest. Here we use a path for the ascent to the Kuruzzenkogel. You could also pass below the Kogel, but the chapel built in 1895 by the Konrad family and the resting place are worth the effort of the climb.

About halfway up, we reach the Kapfensteiner Kogel, an extinct volcano that is now not only home to a beautiful castle hotel, but also one of the best wineries in Styria. At the Winkler-Hermaden winery, the vines or wines are worked according to organic guidelines in the third generation. The main white varieties are Sauvignon blanc, Traminer & Gewürztraminer, but also Burgundy varieties such as Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. The most important red wine variety in the repertoire is the Blaue Zweigelt, which is also found 100% in the well-known Olivin. The Blaue Zweigelt is followed by Merlot and Pinot noir.

After a well-deserved rest, we descend to the church, either via the parking lot and the street or directly through the tiered garden. The parish church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, is a very popular place for weddings and baptisms from the near and far surroundings. Above the church, passing the rectory, we enter a beautiful forest in a westerly direction. Soon after, we turn left to the Buschenschenke Puff, cross a country road and come to the "Red Cross" wayside shrine on path 780. We continue on trail 780 to Steinriegl-Absetz, where we soon leave the Absetzstraße to the right, however, in order to get down to Bad Gleichenberg via the Eichgrabenweg.

In recent years, the historic spa town of Bad Gleichenberg has managed to turn a long-held tradition into a modern tourist and recreational destination. The centerpiece is the 20-hectare spa park, where native and exotic trees and shrubs line the paths. Healing springs, in turn, are the basis for over 180 years of development and the modern spa, which makes Bad Gleichenberg a distinctive health resort in interaction with the surrounding volcanic landscape. This beautiful landscape also accompanies us on the next stage to the wine village of Klöch.