Organ Hiking: Stage Stubenberg - St. Johann bei Herberstein

We would like to invite you to combine your hike in ApfelLand-Stubenbergsee and the Pöllau Valley Nature Park with art and culture and culinary delights.

Download the free "Hearonymus" app, select "Churches in ApfelLand-Stubenbergsee and Pöllau Valley Nature Park" in the "Guides" section and your smartphone will become an audio guide. Churches and their organs and bells are presented and brought to life acoustically, so you can get to know the advantages of an individual tour with the sound of bells and organs.

The individual organ hiking tours can be easily combined with each other and can be walked in both directions, so that everything is possible, from a short hike to a long-distance hike.

The hike begins at the Stubenberg parish church.First we walk along the "Seeweg" which leads us downhill past meadows and orchards to the Schmidbach. We follow this path to the main road, cross the road here and walk to the lakeside parking lot Strandbad / Feistritzbrücke. After the bridge, we follow the right bank of the Feistritz to the former Waldhof.

Now it really gets going, as the path climbs steeply from here, leading us exclusively through a beautiful mixed forest until we reach the highest point of the Geierwand.

Once we reach the highest point, we are rewarded with a breathtaking view of Lake Stubenberg and the surrounding area. After a short rest, which we have earned, we continue. The descent initially runs along the edge of the forest and then continues across meadows, past farmsteads and through a short section of forest to the Heinrichhöhe/ Kranzl vantage point, from where we have a unique view of Herberstein Castle (this bird's eye view is only reserved for hard-working hikers). After this fantastic impression of this imposing building, we continue to the "Holy Sepulchre".

There are three chapels on this beautiful square. This is a quiet, beautiful place that invites you to linger. From here, the route continues steadily downhill, where we are accompanied by Stations of the Cross leading through a beech forest, the dimensions of which leave us in awe. After leaving the forest, we pass the Rosalia Chapel on the outskirts of St. Johann bei Herberstein and then walk a little further until we reach the parish church of St. Johann bei Herberstein.

ApfelLand is located in the heart of Eastern Styria, approx. 60 km north-east of Graz and approx. 140 km south of Vienna

By car: Coming from Vienna: Take the Südautobahn (A2) to the Hartberg exit - via Bundesstraße (B54) towards Graz - 2 km after Kaindorf towards Graz, turn off towards ApfelLand-Stubenbergsee- Stubenbergsee

Coming from Salzburg/Germany: Take the highway via Salzburg - Pyhrnautobahn (A9) to Graz - continue via the Südautobahn in the direction of Vienna (A2) to the Gleisdorf West exit - federal road (B54) to Kaibing - ApfelLand-Stubenbergsee- Stubenbergsee

 Go to Google Maps to calculate the journey.