Stage 07 Mur Bike Path Leibnitz - Bad Radkersburg

To start our last stage on the Mur Bike Path in Austria, first of all we return to Hasendorf and follow the Mur Bike Path along the river to Flavia Solva. Then the Mur Bike Path changes at the height of the main road to the left bank of the Mur - over the bridge and then left down to the Mur and under the road. Soon we arrive to an enchanting landscape, which we especially love in the spring when it is flowering and in the summer to provide shade. At Ehrenhausen with its Genussregal (Enjoyment Shelf) on the opposite side of the Mur, which is easily accessible via a bridge, we go back out of the forest via the aforementioned Mur bridge. After Ehrenhausen, our path continues on the banks of the Mur. It's not hard to find your way. The route is particularly easy to navigate, because we cycle through quiet, secluded landscapes. A green riparian forest accompanies and enchants us. Soon we return to a castle. This time it is Castle Spielfeld, which rises majestically from the riparian forest. The building, badly damaged by the turmoil of the Second World War, has been brought back to life since 1987 through an initiative.

We part from the riparian forest, pass a railway bridge and come to the main road. If we want to go to Spielfeld, we take the path right over the Mur. We cross the main road and drive under the motorway. Now the path is initially unpaved and leads us again through the forest, the entrance to the Natura 2000 protected area Radkersburger Auen. Arrived in Oberschwarza at the church, we follow the village road to the right and after a short while at the crossroads turn right again and come to Unterschwarza. Again, we go first to the village church, to the fire station, then immediately right and after the bridge immediately to the left again. We cross the road once at the Rablmühle and keep straight ahead. Wonderful. Do you smell what the riparian forest has to offer? This silence? The many plant and animal species that it hosts? Pause and take a deep breath - that's what we should do now, when we dive back into the lush green. Continuing on the way to Mureck, we pass another special feature: at Weitersfeld, one of the last cable ferries in Austria brings guests to Slovenia or from Slovenia to Austria. The cable ferry is particularly popular with cyclists who vacation in the cycling region of Bad Radkersburg, because a bike path leads to Bad Radkersburg on both sides of the Mur. But remember: don't forget your passport on this tour!

Arriving in Mureck, we notice something: Mureck, like Wildon, which we are fond of remembering, is a real street village. Unlike in a market, the houses are situated with their long sides facing the street, and not their gables. And in Mureck, the next absolute 'must' awaits us: a visit to the  Mureck Schiffsmühle [ship mill]. Easy to find, it has thrilled all Mur Bike Path cyclists for many years. The signage to the ship mill and back to the Mur Bike Path is of course great. Heading through Misselsdorf, we now pass by the climate protection garden and the bumblebee paradise towards  Röcksee. It's worth staying here for a while and jumping into the lake before we make the final spurt on the Austrian side. Now only cyclists are allowed to continue straight ahead. After a large gravel pit, the path gets curvy through a beautiful riparian forest. Our path is now our guide. It stands out clearly from all branching possibilities.

Do you already see the small compensation channel? We cross it and see the new Mur tower. The enormous steel structure is 30 metres high and its shape is that of DNA, as the foundation of all life. Did you climb the tower? We "saddle up again" and now cycle to the left at the next dirt road after a short breather. At the fork in the road, which continues for 300 metres, we keep to the right. We are still on the gravel road. It goes past the village of Diepersdorf, but we won't see it. The next village that we see is already Fluttendorf. Here we cross the Mühlbach and go another kilometre on "our" gravel road. Then we cross the Mühlbach again. There, the mill, do you see it? We are heading for it. 400 metres later and there is a left turn and we have to cross the Mühlbach once again. Now we are in Donnersbach.

If we have the time, it's worth making a "detour" here too, namely to Klöch. The small, charming wine town is at an altitude of 290 metres on a volcanic cone. The ride there for us is on quiet country roads, but the beauty must be earned and there are a few gradients waiting for us. We have two options: First, a route south of the mountain leads to Klöch, which is the shorter one, but the northern version has less severe gradients for us. No matter which route we choose, it's worthwhile to go for a glass of the famous Traminer from the Klöcher Wine Road.

For those of you who have decided to continue straight from Donnersbach to Bad Radkersburg, turn right after the bridge. For five and a half kilometres our route leads through fields, past a small house here and there until we come to Halbenrain/Dietzen. We continue over a dam into the town. We come back to a fork in the road where we continue right to Pfarrsdorf. Once we reach the small church: turn to the left and after the town exit sign, turn to the right. There are two lakes that will soon take us into their midst, the so-called Liebmann Lakes. It's now about a kilometre until we turn right again onto a dirt road. Our view falls directly onto Castle Oberradkersburg on a hill beyond the Mur - already in Slovenian territory. A few more metres and we are in Bad Radkersburg, where our seven-day tour through the most beautiful areas comes to an end. Now we have earned ourselves a coffee, an ice cream, whatever you like. Or perhaps a visit to the Parktherme hot springs. Or how about a good glass of wine and remember the many stops, beautiful images, alpine pastures, fields, and people we met along the way. Let's remember the kindness and geniality of the Styrians and the new "friend" we have gained, the Mur, who faithfully accompanied us. Sometimes subtly invisible, sometimes directly at our side.

To the 8th day stage of the Mur Bike Path

To the overall overview of the Mur Bike Path