From the beautiful main square in Leoben, we first cycle over the Murbrücke/Winkelfeldbrücke bridge to reach the Salzlände, where we keep briefly to the right and then immediately to the left to turn onto Pebalstraße. On the well-marked cycle path, we now leave Styria's second largest city behind us and head for Niklasdorf. A few hundred metres after the Hotel Brücklwirt, we turn left to cross the Mur and, after a slight incline through a cooling forest, cycle towards Oberaich with its Raddörfl (bicycle village) at the Gasthof Pichler. The Raddörfl, with its cosy little wooden houses surrounded by greenery, is particularly popular with cyclists on the Mur Cycle Path. Not only are the wooden houses cosy, but you also meet many other cyclists on the Mur Cycle Path and can exchange tips, stories and much more.
The tour now takes us straight to Bruck an der Mur with its Schloßberg, often referred to as the ‘little brother’ of Graz's Schloßberg. We should take our time to explore the old town centre of the ancient trading town of Bruck an der Mur, because this charming town has a lot to offer with its impressive main square, which is the second largest in Austria, and its wonderfully preserved old houses with fascinating architecture. But above all, there is the Schlossberg, which was renovated just a few years ago, with its clock tower, a former watchtower of the Bruck fire station.
From the old town, we now head towards the railway station, where we turn onto Pischker Straße, which takes us out of the town. Now we take a leisurely stroll through the increasingly narrow Mur Valley along the river towards Pernegg. Once we arrive in Pernegg with its beautiful St. Mary's Church, we continue via the railway station to Mixnitz. A stop here is almost unavoidable. Who hasn't heard of the Bärenschützklamm: a wild gorge, one of the most beautiful water-bearing rock gorges in Austria. It was declared a natural monument in 1978 because of its unique natural treasures. A hike between untamed waterfalls and rugged rocks is an impressive experience for every nature lover. The indescribable power of nature, whose constant dripping hollows out the stone, is evident here. Let's give our bikes a break and sharpen our eyes: from Mixnitz, it takes about an hour's walk to reach the entrance to the gorge. Over 100 years ago, the Graz Alpine Club made large sections of the gorge accessible via free-floating ladders. The 200 to 300 metre high limestone walls in the gorge bear witness to a geological past that dates back 400 million years. Karst springs, caves, karren and grooves, rock niches and pot-like rock pools bear witness to the surface-shaping forces of water.
But be careful: this natural spectacle requires sturdy footwear. And there are 2,500 wooden steps to climb and 164 bridges spanning the gorges. However, once we reach the top after about an hour, a very nice inn awaits us with food and drink.
Here's a tip: if you've decided to experience the adventure of the Bärenschützklamm gorge, you should consider staying the night in Frohnleiten and visiting the Stübing open-air museum tomorrow before continuing on to Graz. In this case, the tour will be extended by one day, but it will be a day you'll never forget. And you'll have more energy to really experience Graz. But first, the route to Frohnleiten awaits. Whatever you decide, we are back on our Mur Cycle Path, which now takes us along the Mur to Frohnleiten via the Röthelstein bathing lake – a suitable place to cool your feet. It is now about 35 km to Graz. The historic market square of Frohnleiten enchants us with its playfulness and special beauty, which the silhouette already promised. But now pay attention: the Mur Cycle Path is now divided into two parts until Graz. So it is signposted on both sides of the Mur. Along the left bank, we mostly ride on a cycle path that runs along the main road. That's why we take the right bank.
We leave the main square heading south, where a ‘right-left combination’ soon awaits us. Even from a distance, we can see Rabenstein Castle, perched on a rocky cliff, which is now a popular venue for conferences and seminars and is also known for its exhibitions. We follow the paved path near the Mur, which takes us past the Murhof golf course and through meadows, small forests and farmsteads. At the village of Badl, there is another bridge, this time over the natural riverbed of the Mur. If we cross it, we reach the Lurgrotte, Austria's largest water-filled stalactite cave. It has been known since ancient times and has an exciting history. It was only in 1963, after 20 years of hard work, that it became possible to walk through it completely in three to four hours. And then, in 1975, came a hundred-year flood. Since then, only parts of it, albeit extremely impressive ones, have been accessible.
But if we stay on the right bank, the cycle path branches off to the right before the Mur bridge and takes us to Deutschfeistritz and the Stübing open-air museum. Almost 100 historic farmhouses have been set up here. In a loving and professional manner. Life from the past in today's world – we should definitely take this with us as a memory from our big tour. Strengthened by this feast for the eyes, it is now really enjoyable to cycle the last few kilometres to Graz. By the way: about three kilometres outside Gratwein is Rein Abbey. And again, it's worth stopping. After all, the Cistercian abbey is the oldest existing one in the world, and its library alone, with more than 100,000 volumes, is incredible. It is not undeservedly called the ‘cradle of Styria’. And not to be overlooked: the abbey tavern, before we continue on our way to Graz refreshed.
Via Gratwein, we now reach Graz. At the entrance to Graz, the signage changes: from now on until the end of Graz, we are accompanied by white signs with green lettering R2 (R2 is the abbreviation for the Mur Cycle Path, as it is along the entire route). Along the Mur on narrow paths and only rarely near roads or crossings, we arrive in the old town centre of Graz after just a few minutes: welcome to the provincial capital, which can call itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a UNESCO City of Design.
To the 6th stage of the Mur Cycle Path
To the complete overview of the Mur Cycle Path