On the hill above Rattenberger Graben

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The view "Auf der Höh'" after a wooded ascent through the Rattenberger Graben will surprise many a hiker. A special place to enjoy.

The small village of Rattenberg is a cadastral municipality of Fohnsdorf and lies on the northern edge of the largest inner-alpine basin in Styria, the Judenburg-Knittelfeld Basin. The name Rattenberg can be traced back to Rottenburg Castle, which was built in the 11th century. A few remains of Rottenburg Castle can be found on the approx. 1000 m high wooded Schlossberg, which lies at the beginning of the Rattenberger Graben. Large dams were built along this deeply incised ditch. One of the worst disasters for the village of around 200 inhabitants occurred on July 15, 1985, when the flooding of the Rattenberger Bach caused severe damage. On this hike, the path partly runs directly alongside the stream, which flows in a pronounced and heavily eroded V-shaped valley. Depending on the time of year, the ascent is recommended in the morning or around midday, when the sun's rays reach the stream bed and cast a special light on the water with its natural accompanying vegetation.

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

Experience

Scenery

Best season

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

The tour in numbers

medium

Level of difficulty

16,7 km

Route

5:00 h

Time

780 hm

Uphill

780 hm

Downhill

1464 m

Highest point

702 m

Lowest point

Map & downloads

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More information

From St. Michael in Upper Styria via the Murtal expressway S36 (toll sticker required) to the "Zeltweg-Ost" exit. Then past the Red Bull Ring to Rattenberg (30 km, approx. 20 minutes).

From Judenburg via the Murtal expressway S36 (toll sticker required) to the "Judenburg-Ost" exit and via Fohnsdorf to Rattenberg (15 km, approx. 20 minutes).

From the Gasthof Hotel Perschler (1), 702 m, we walk through the village of Rattenberg, following the asphalt road that runs slightly uphill to the right of the stream. After approx. 1.3 km we come to a forest road junction and a larger turning area, which is also used for parking. We continue uphill along the ditch until we see the entrance (2), 1012 m, to the hiking trail on the right at the start of a sharp left-hand bend. From here, we leave the wide forest road to continue along the old path. Even if this section of the trail seems a little "wild" at times, as the path is not cut out regularly, it is a beautiful natural experience to hike uphill right next to the stream bed. After approx. 1.4 km we reach the exit (3), 1117 m, of this old path and continue uphill on the wide forest road until we reach a gate (4), 1228 m. For cyclists, the tour ends here, but we pass the gate on the right and follow the road, which winds uphill in serpentines. Although we repeatedly pass junctions, we follow the marked main path until we reach a saddle or crossroads at 1422 m above sea level. From here, we are on the main hiking trail (trail no. 998), which leads across the entire ridge in a west-east direction. We keep to the right and see the start of the marked path. The path climbs a little steeper for a short while and then flattens out along the ridge. After walking downhill for a while, we come to a fence and an overpass and now reach our destination, the clearing or pasture area Auf der Höh' (5), 1464 m. The way back is via the ascent route.

A very nice option for the descent is to choose the route via the Hammerleck / Hölzelkogel

Rattenberg is easy to reach by bus. The nearest train stations are Judenburg, Zeltweg and Knittelfeld.

General information about public transportation in the region: www.verbundlinie.at

Murtal Taxi, Tel.: +43 660 1018101, 8740 Zeltweg, www.murtal-taxi.at

Parking allowed at Gasthof Perschler

Hotel Restaurant Perschler, Tel.: +43 3573 34204, Landstraße 14, 8753 Rattenberg, www.gasthof-perschler.at

Region Murtal: www.murtal.at