On the stone bars, Ratten

Up to Hauereck we mainly orientate ourselves on the Montanweg (yellow boards or blue-white markings), then on trail no. 740/02 or route no. 742. Please be sure to check the refreshment options including opening times BEFORE the hike. On the way back you can order a SAM shared taxi to the Eichtinger snack station to “Station Alm/Großmarker, WZ 4300” and save yourself a 5 kilometer journey. Start: GH Albert, Rats town center We start at the overview board in front of GH Albert and head north. We turn left up Rotkreuzweg, now go uphill and have a beautiful view of rats. After the second information board of the Montanweg, the climb becomes flatter, the forest road leads past a few houses. We come to an asphalt road, go uphill to the right and shortly afterwards turn left, following the markings “Path no. 9”. A little way through the forest to a house, here we continue to the right, past the “Dirndlhof” to the intersection. At the intersection we continue left on the asphalt road to the Hotel Ponyhof, where we take path no. 9 leave. We go straight past the pony farm buildings and continue on a gravel path. We go to the intersection with the yellow signpost “Montanweg”, here we turn left, walk slightly uphill through the forest and use the blue and white markings to orientate ourselves.

We walk 1.4 km on the asphalt road to the intersection just before the “Berbausiedlung” district. At this intersection we turn right and come to GH Willenshofer/valley station of the Hauereck lifts. The path continues behind the Willenshofer GH, along the gravel road we go uphill for about 2.6 kilometers to the unmanaged Hauereck refuge. From now on we are on the main hiking trail over the Fischbach Alps, turn right and hike comfortably uphill along the wide, wooded mountain ridge. (Trail no. 740/02). Soon we will see the first wind turbines. At an alpine area we reach the parking lot on the Ratteneer Alm, we continue directly to the Steinriegel. The descent leads past the parking lot again, then we turn right and towards an alpine hut. We follow the path and come to the barrier at the toll station, the Eichtinger snack station is unfortunately closed. We now walk a short distance along the asphalt road until we turn left onto hiking trail no. 742a turn. The gravel road goes continuously downhill, past a few farms, until we come back into the forest. At a large campsite we follow the yellow signposts further through the forest. During the grazing season the hiking trail is rerouted; the yellow markings lead us back to the original path. Downhill and along the asphalt road we come to the “Ratten” sign and turn right at the next intersection, always heading out of the valley. Shortly before the sports field we turn right, go over the stream and after a short climb we come to the church. Now a few more meters downhill and we are back in the center of Ratten, our starting point.

European emergency call: 112
Emergency call mountain rescue: 140 (if possible please provide GPS data)
Rescue: 144
Fire brigade: 122
Police: 133

A few tips on correct and fair behaviour in the forest: (Source: www.bundesforste.at )

Hikers should avoid visits to the forest about 1.5 hours before sunrise and after sunset, as wild animals are particularly active during this time.

Plastic bottles, handkerchiefs, cigarette butts etc. have no place in the forest! Please make sure that you do not leave any rubbish in the forest.

Camping and lighting fires are strictly forbidden in the forest!

In principle, every person is allowed to pick 2 kg of mushrooms and berries per day for personal use. It is only prohibited if the forest owner expressly forbids it.

• Small backpack with water bottle (+ provisions)
• Sturdy shoes
• Appropriate clothing - if possible several layers - "onion principle".
• Rain and sun protectionWalking sticks as required
• Mobile phone
• Small first aid kit
• Route description
• Before starting the hike, check the possibilities for refreshments, including opening times, or pack appropriate food and drink.

The mining museum in Ratten was integrated into the original tunnel entrance with many details and is an exciting experience for young and old!

Timetables and travel information can be found at Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB) or at Verkehrsauskunft Verbundlinie. For local transportation we recommend the SAM-Sammeltaxi Oststeiermark.

You can find information about the region, places to stop and stay overnight, excursion destinations, etc. here:

Eastern Styria Tourism Association
Joglland-Waldheimat office
8255 St. Jakob im Walde
Tel.: 03336/20255
www.joglland.at
www.oststeiermark.com 

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Mobility Eastern Styria with shared taxi SAM  Find out about maps, hiking brochures and other tour tips at the tourist office. You can also order information material on our website from the comfort of your own home.
 
Timetables and travel information can be found at Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB) or at Verkehrsauskunft Verbundlinie. For local transportation we recommend the SAM-Sammeltaxi Oststeiermark.