Fürwallnerhöhe-Zwölferkogel-Schöckl - A beautiful hike in the autumn season

In the beautiful federal state of Styria, you find the perfect destination for a long and beautiful autumn hike. It leads over three mountains: the Fürwallnerhöhe - where you find the well-known Novystein - the Zwölferkogel, and the Schöckl. You should bring good condition and sturdy shoes, so you're able to enjoy the hike. If you're lucky, you can find all kinds of weird-looking mushrooms and fungi, and the bright autumn colours will lift your spirits.

The hike is relatively long and often leads uphill, so you should be in good shape. It's also a good idea to take provisions with you, although there are always opportunities to stop by. If this hike is too long for you, you can try a shorter one up to the Schöckl, which you find here. Otherwise, this hike is very beautiful. You can see many different places while walking and have a lot of time to let your thoughts come to rest.

The hike starts at the Quellenstraße Parking Space in St. Radegund. A yellow sign points to Novystein, where you follow the forest path that leads directly uphill. After a short while, you come along a small wooden bridge that brings you across the Mühlgraben-Stream.

wooden bridge - Mühlgraben-stream

Now follow the signs and the red-white-red trail markings in between that lead you to Novystein. You cross Ehrenfeldstreet, where you also find yellow signs pointing in the right direction. Since you are on a nature study trail, there are signs for the various types of trees.

Nature study trail

In the autumn season, there are beautiful coloured leaves all around you, and you can find different types of mushrooms here. But if you don't know the mushrooms, it's better not to eat them.

Shaggy Inkcap (Coprinus comatus)

Toadstool (Amanita muscaria)

Continue along the path that is overgrown with roots and covered with stones. Ignore the turnoff towards Kreuzberg and keep to the right instead. Then you have already reached Novystein.

The Novystein is a twenty-metre high obelisk on a 910-metre high hill south of the Schöckl. It has been dedicated as a monument to the spa doctor Dr. med. Gustav Novy in 1883.

To the left of the Novystein, a small path leads to the Fürwallnerhöhe summit cross. A heart-shaped bench invites you to linger, and you get rewarded with a breathtaking view of the Schöckl and Eastern Styria.

Northwest of the summit cross, you follow hiking trail number 27 and keep to the signs pointing to the Johann-Waller-Hut. The trail leads you back into the forest. Now orientate yourself by a sign indicating the direction Erhardhöhe - Schöckl.

After a while, a sign points to the direction of Schöckl - Stubenberghaus and the Johann-Waller-Hut. Walk in this direction until trail number 27 finally culminates with trail number 730, which you take from now on.

After following trail 730 for a while, you get to a big unsigned junction. Turn right here and follow the path, which becomes narrower and narrower uphill until it resembles a trampled path. Keep to the left until you finally reach the small summit cross of the Zwölferkogel at an altitude of 1192m. A tree trunk serves as a seat, and of course, you are welcome to sign the summit book, which you can find here.

Mountain Ash / Rowan-Berry (Sorbus aucuparia)

Zwölferkogel

After a break at the Zwölferkogel, continue along the narrow path until an overgrown gravel road appears. Walk along the gravel road until a way branches off to the right, leading to another gravel path. Follow it to the right. Finally, you come out of the forest onto an open area, follow the path straight on and then continue in the direction of the Johann-Waller-Hut, to which the sign points. It takes about 10 minutes to reach the hut from here. To the right, a path leads back into the forest towards the summit cross on the west peak. You soon come to the Johann-Waller-Hut, where you can stop by.

Johann-Waller-Hut

Now turn left past the Johann-Waller-Hut onto hiking trail number 20, which you follow until you see the mountain on the right side. That's where you continue, following the small stony path directly upwards to the summit cross on the west peak.

The view is so beautiful when you look back. While walking, I found a pretty stone heart that someone had created. Maybe you'll come across it when you try out this beautiful circular hike. I wasn't expecting it, but it's kinda lovely and made me smile.

Stone heart in the meadow - Schöckl

Arriving at the summit cross of the 1445m high mountain, you can enjoy the beautiful view. Four benches around the cross invite you to linger and enjoy the fresh mountain air.

Summit cross - Schöckl

From the summit cross, you walk along the wooden paths towards the Alpengasthof, where you can stop by. Something I always look forward to when I visit the Schöckl is a Buchtel filled with apricot jam and served with hot vanilla sauce. Buchteln are made of yeast dough and baked in the oven, originally from Bohemian cuisine. The Buchteln available at the Alpengasthof are super delicious, and I highly recommend tasting them.

Buchtel with apricot jam and hot vanilla sauce - Alpengasthof

For the descent of this hike, I chose an easy one via hiking trail number 21. To get there, walk across the terrace of the Stubenberghaus until you reach a stone staircase, which you walk down. Here a sign points in the direction of St. Radegund, which you follow.

Stubenberghaus

You descend below the summer toboggan run, cross the road and continue following the sign towards the Schöckl cable car valley station in St. Radegund. The path is full of stones and roots.

Once at the valley station, follow Schöcklstreet past the St. Radegund kindergarten until Wernbacherweg branches off to the right. Follow this way until you reach another fork in the road, keep to the right and stay on the Wernbacherweg until it meets the Kalvarienbergstreet. Follow it briefly to the right, then turn left onto Lindenweg. Now stay on the right side for a while. Finally, turn left onto a road and then take the Quellenweg. You pass the Emilien-spring and follow the path until you reach Quellenstraße. From here, you only go a little to the right to the starting point, the car park on Quellenstraße.

The hike over the three peaks was long, but I enjoyed it very much, in particular, because of the wonderful autumn colours and the many different impressions. By the way, it's great to photograph the starry sky here at night because there is no light pollution.

You must go on adventures to find out where you truly belong. - Sue Fitzmaurice

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