Eastern Styria - the "Garden of Austria"
A region full of discoveries!
Start your journey of discovery through Styria from the Garten-Hotel Ochensberger.
The most beautiful excursion destinations and sights of Eastern Styria
are just a few minutes’ drive from the hotel!
About town and country, people and culture, customs and traditions.
The city of Graz, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the Eggenberg Palace, the internationally renowned Zotter chocolate factory, the Vulcano Ham World, the Herberstein Garden Palace, the South Styrian wine country with the Vinofaktur Südsteirisches Genussregal, the Lipizzaner stud farm Piber and much more. Explore the Almenland Nature Park, savour the culinary diversity of the Styrian Volcano Region or relax in the thermal waters of the Styrian Thermal Spa Region.
Regional experts - real Styrian connoisseurs
The regional experts at the Garten-Hotel are true ambassadors of our homeland They enjoyed a unique training programme in 2019, which was launched by the Eastern Styria Qualification Agency and implemented together with and for the surrounding tourism regions. With this resulting expert club, Eastern Styria is now a pioneer!
The regional experts know the tourist treasures of Eastern Styria like the back of their hand and create real holiday experiences with personal advice on site!
With the GenussCard – your free admission ticket to over 240 excursion destinations – you can discover Eastern Styria to your heart’s content. The region around St. Ruprecht an der Raab offers wonderful cycle paths and a well-developed network of running and walking trails. Our reception team will be happy to help you plan your individual excursion route through Eastern Styria.
Home is not a place. Home is a feeling.
We make this tangible for you!
Holidays in the garden of Austria
Flower-strewn alpine meadows, lush forests, breathtaking panoramas, colourful gardens – discover the magic of the colourful landscape in Eastern Styria! Active holidaymakers can enjoy hiking from hut to hut, savour the scent of alpine herbs or “experience” Eastern Styria on two wheels through blossoming orchards and vineyards.
It is not for nothing that Eastern Styria is affectionately known as the “Garden of Austria” or the “Delicatessen of Austria”. The culinary treasures that every season has to offer are so numerous here that they practically thrive on everyone’s doorstep. Here, we all draw from the full and are grateful for the many treasures that nature has in store for us.
BEAUTIFUL to be able to share this diversity and this feeling with you!
Raab Gorge
One of the most beautiful natural jewels in the country
The Great and Small Raab Gorge stretch for over 17 kilometres between Arzberg and Mitterdorf, making it the longest gorge in Austria. The Great Raab Gorge is home to rare birds such as the black stork and the kingfisher and has been designated a NATURA 2000 protected area due to its biodiversity of fauna and flora.
Rocky gorges, rushing water and mossy primary rock create a magical and wildly romantic atmosphere in this unspoilt hiking area. There are numerous entry and exit points with refreshment stops, as well as extensive circular hiking trails to choose from.
While the well-signposted paths and footbridges in the Große Raabklamm are sometimes challenging and require good surefootedness, the Kleine Raabklamm is a cosy and family-friendly alternative.
So many experiences!
The garden hotel as a starting point for voyages of discovery
As varied as the Garten-Hotel Ochensberger is, so is the surrounding region! Where would you like to spend your day?
The cultural capital Graz is only 30 minutes away from us by car and invites you to stroll around with its beautiful old town flair. In the Naturpark Almenland you can breathe in the fresh mountain air and hike through lush alpine meadows around the Teichalmsee lake and one of the last mountain pine moors in the country. In Austria’s most stalactite-rich show cave, the Katerloch in Dürntal near Weiz, you can observe an impressive cave lake landscape. The Apple and Flower Route is not far from the garden hotel and is known for its millions of fruit trees in the charming landscape and the numerous farmers whose delicious produce can be savoured all year round. Not forgetting the 8 Styrian wine routes with over 700 winegrowers, which are a popular excursion destination, especially in autumn at harvest time.
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Food lovers can get to know the wide range of products from apples and stag pears to ALMO, cheese and Kernöl or take a look behind the scenes on a cookery course. Fancy Eastern Styria in a glass? Along the Apple or Römerweinstraße you will find cosy places to enjoy fresh cider and fruity wines while getting to know the production of the grape juices.
Wine Route.
Recharge your batteries with a picnic in the vineyard or on a guided tour through private show gardens. Culture lovers can discover the mighty castles with their unique history or the atmospheric old towns with their lively and colourful markets.
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Styrian theme roads
...for inquisitive explorers!
5 days – 5 themes – inquisitive explorers are sure to get their money’s worth in Styria!
The themed and adventure routes in Styria hide many treasures: historic old towns entice visitors with their unforgettable charm, romantic castles and palaces rise up in the rolling hills, culinary highlights await their connoisseurs, you can “apple tree” comfortably between millions of fruit trees and colourful seas of blossoms await visitors along the flower route. You will be amazed!
Styrian wine routes
A total of 8 wine routes stretch for kilometres from south-west Styria to the East Styrian volcanic region. They are probably one of the best-known reasons why the province is such a popular holiday destination. Warm hospitality, centuries-old traditions, crafts that have been handed down over many generations, cosy cellars and rustic wine taverns – the region is a colourful collection of experiences. Just 5 kilometres from the Garten-Hotel, you can already follow in the footsteps of the East Styrian Roman Wine Route!
Schlösserstraße
The south-east of Austria is one of the regions with the most castles and palaces in Europe. Experience these magical places as living witnesses to the great eras of time, where history becomes tangible: Aichberg Castle, Güssing Castle, Hartberg Castle, Herberstein Garden Castle, Kapfenstein Castle, Kornberg Castle, Neuhaus Castle, Obermayerhofen Castle, Pöllau Castle, Bad Radkersburg, Riegersburg Castle, Schilleiten Castle, Schlaining Castle, Stubenberg Castle.
Steirische Apfelstraße
The “Steirische Apfelstraße” association was founded in 1986 by around 40 farmers – with the basic idea of strengthening the economic power of the region. The 25 kilometre apple route starts in Gleisdorf and stretches across 5 municipalities with Puch bei Weiz as the centre of fruit growing. The wide variety of cider, apple juice, brandies and fresh fruit ensures a fruity experience all year round! A highlight is the annual apple blossom festival, which takes place with an extensive programme directly under the wonderfully fragrant apple trees.
Styrian Flower Route
In 1990, 8 East Styrian municipalities founded the “Styrian Flower Route” association. Since then, the traditional “flower parade” has taken place every two years, attracting young and old alike with its magnificent splendour of blossoms and magnificently decorated flower carts. The flower queen and her two princesses are also elected to office.
Energy Show Street
The East Styrian Energy Show Route is the first of its kind internationally and a global showcase project in terms of awareness-raising and renewable energies. Over 120 plant operators combine awareness-raising with tourism, business and the region – take the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the energy cycle and experience how tangible and accessible renewable energy can be at special energy showplaces.
