Austria, Styria - Biking, Picnics, and Great Events

Styria offers a variety of new family biking trails for all bike lovers as well as other sports cycling trails, along with interesting exhibitions to visit. But before we start to introduce those, we'll talk about the history of Styrian cycling.

We will not go back to the beginnings of cycling in the Bronze Age, but we will focus on the time after 1870, even though Archduke Johann at that time moved his dressage back in 1820. After 1870, the first pedal-powered pedal appeared in the streets of Graz. In 1894 there were 800 to 1000 enthusiastic bikers, who made trips on bicycles on Sundays and on holidays. In the winter cycling schools, cycling skills were taught. As a result, many cycling clubs in Graz already served as a center of cycling sports before 1900, making it one of the everyday means of transport until the First World War came along.

As a consquence to local bike production and rich history, many beautiful trails had been built across the country. You can currently choose different themed areas. One of them is the "Styrian Wine Country" cycle path stretching in the total length of 402 kilometers. It will take you to a wine-growing area where you can explore nearly 300 cruise destinations. From gardens and river areas to spas, cultural treasures, lively towns and dreamy villages to excellent wine bars, award-winning restaurants, hospitality or local workshops that will make sure you will enjoy sublime gourmet experience

You can also try a 3-day round trip through East Styria. Starts in St. Ruprecht an der Raab, then leads through the landscape of apples and the Pöllauer Tal nature reserve to the town of Hartberg with its historic old town and around the Ringkogel hill. Subsequently, it continues to the region of thermal springs (H2O-Thermen-Resort, Bad Waltersdorf, Rogner Bad Blumau, Loipersdorf Thermal Spa) and later takes you to the Eastern Styrian Roman Wine Route to St. Ruprecht an der Raab, with excellent connections to Graz by train.

For mountain biking enthusiasts, the Schladming-Dachstein region offers a 15-kilometer trail in the resort of Reiteralm, as well as in Reiteralm Junior Trails - Austria's largest cycling "playground". Many trails are also in Hauser Kaibling. The routes are of varying difficulty, there are richly equipped bike parks and there are also hotels for bikers.

You can also enjoy mountains and bikes at once in the Hochsteiermark region, where exciting mountain experiences with a guide await you. Also an adventure park with a rope bridge, two rope slides and six Flying Fox-zipline lanes right across the Grublsee Alpine Aquarium and last but not least, you can enjoy six bike courses.

In addition to bikes, you can also visit extraordinary events. These include the Fotofestival in the Gesaeuse National Park, the center of which will be in Admont (June 28 to July 7), Instagram Tour with Donkey, and a photo workshop on Nature in the Pöllauer Tal Nature Park (July 13) Summer of Hartberg (May 29 to July 14), Austria's largest flower festival - Daffodil Festival (May 30 to June 2), La Strada Graz (July 26 to August 3), Full Moon Night months at Riegersburg Castle (July 13 and August 16) or the Styrian Arts Festival (September 19 to October 13). More tips for events can be found here.

If you want to refresh yourself during a cycling trip, you can use one of the 38 selected picnic sites. Here you can taste regional and seasonal delicacies - from bacon to vegan treats. You can find an overview here.

Explore Styria, a land of so much charm that it deserves more than one trip.

GPS: 47°04'16.2"N 15°26'16.8"E (Graz)

Source: PR, Steirische Tourismus Gmbh

Photos: Steiermark Tourismus ikarus.cc (úvodní), (c) at photos

Edited by: Infoglobe