Feistritz am Wechsel offers two distinct focuses for planning a trip: walking and hiking trails in the surrounding area, and a diverse history of architecture and the town. The forest nature trail, marked trails leading to heights with distant views, and the Feistritztal cycle path make it a good choice for a stay that includes outdoor activity. The fortified church, castle and monuments offer a different perspective. When choosing accommodation, first consider which of these themes is most important for your trip.
Forest Nature Trail, High-Altitude Trails and Cycle Route
The Feistritz am Wechsel forest nature trail is a well-signposted walk through the woods. Its features include information boards, benches, viewpoints and a place to relax. This distinguishes it from the marked hiking trails leading to the surrounding heights, with its stations and places to pause.
The high-altitude trails offer distant views of the Rax, Schneeberg and Hohe Wand. If you are looking for a forest walk with information boards and benches, the nature trail offers a different focus; the hiking trails are more about the heights and the views. This lets you choose activities to suit the kind of day you want, without treating them as one combined route.
Parking for the forest nature trail is available at the village square or directly at the starting point by the place to relax. It is in the direction of Dorfgraben: pass the cemetery, then take the first bridge and go uphill to the right. As parking availability may change, check the current situation before your visit.
Another option is the Feistritztal cycle path. It passes through Feistritz am Wechsel, Kirchberg am Wechsel and Otterthal, and continues to Trattenbach. Away from the roads, it runs along a protected cycle path. Given its length and elevation changes, it is particularly suitable for families with children. While the hiking trails lead to the heights and the distant views mentioned above, the cycle path runs through several towns.
Fortified Church and Castle
The Catholic parish church of St. Ulrich is a steeply rising Gothic fortified church dating from the early 14th century. The northern, eastern and southern sections of the medieval defensive wall have survived; to the west, the wall adjoins the Neo-Gothic entrance porch. A wall painting from the second half of the 14th century was also uncovered in the church. The church and the mural thus point to two different periods within the same century.
Feistritz am Wechsel Castle features a green courtyard adorned with arcades, a high-vaulted knights’ hall, a castle chapel, a library, Gothic rooms and a castle park surrounded by woods. Today, the castle serves as a conference center and a venue for music festivals. If attending a festival is important to your trip, check the specific event dates in advance.
Monuments with Different Stories
The Baroque Marian column in the church square commemorates a plague epidemic and dates from 1713. The statue of the Immaculate Conception stands atop a tall Tuscan column. Its pedestal bears reliefs of Saints Rosalia, Sebastian and Roch. Another monument is the figure of St. John of Nepomuk, located right by the road to the castle entrance. It depicts him with a crucifix and a palm, which are regarded as symbols of victory.
The fortified Thurnhof can also be dated: it dates from the same period as the Gothic remodeling of the castle and church in the 15th century. The Neo-Gothic mausoleum in Dorfgraben represents a later period. It was built in 1892 for Louise Vecseghy, the young mistress of Prince Josef Maria Ludwig von Sulkowski, who died young. Together, these buildings and monuments show that the town’s history is not limited to a single building or one century.
Plan Your Stay Around Your Interests
Compare the specific accommodation details and check the location and availability directly with each listing.
Discover more destinations: Reichenau an der Rax, Enzenreith, Puchberg am Schneeberg, Zöbern, Grimmenstein, Kirchberg am Wechsel, Sankt Egyden am Steinfeld, Klamm.
Return to the main travel overview: Neunkirchen.
