Poppenforst is best explored via specific waypoints along a hike. At Weinbau Plank, a paved spur path leads to a hilltop with a shelter; there is a rest area on the hilltop, and a viewpoint at the highest point of the vineyard. Chapels and the historic Taborkogel add to the route. The St. Martiner Höhenweg connects Poppenforst with two named railway stations.

Hiking and getting there

The official hiking brochure, updated in 2024, describes the hiking route through Poppenforst as signposted and marked; it is maintained by the Deutschlandsberg section of the Austrian Alpine Club. The St. Martiner Höhenweg runs from Deutschlandsberg railway station via Kogelbauer Chapel, Riemerberg, Poppenforst, Fröhlichberg, Aigneregg and Sulberegg to St. Martin im Sulmtal railway station. From Graz, trains on the S6 or S61 lines reach Deutschlandsberg railway station, the starting point of the Höhenweg. Check the current timetable before travelling. The trail markers help you identify the local route, while the railway stations clarify where the Höhenweg begins and ends. To plan your trip, you can first decide whether you want to focus on the route through Poppenforst or on the start and finish of the longer connection.

Weinbau Plank: turnoff, rest area and viewpoint

At Weinbau Plank, also known as “Zwinger Poppenforst,” a paved spur path leads to a hilltop. A shelter is set up there as part of the route’s amenities; there is also a rest area on the hilltop. The route’s viewpoint is at the highest point of the vineyard at Weinbau Plank. For orientation, these waypoints can be distinguished by their locations: the shelter is at the end of the spur path, the rest area is on the hilltop, and the viewpoint is at the highest point of the vineyard. If you are planning stops along the way, you can treat the turnoff, rest area and viewpoint as separate stops.

Chapels along the route

From Weinbau Plank, the trail continues to a small Marian chapel. Nearby stands the Hohl Chapel at an elevation of 412 metres. On the St. Martiner Höhenweg, the larger of the two blue chapels in Fröhlichberg, after Poppenforst, is named Hohl Chapel. Its elevation, proximity to the Marian chapel and position on the route are distinct clues for identifying this place. Before the most recent repainting, the year 1847 was displayed on the Hohl Chapel, along with an inscription in the gateway area referring to its renovation in 1986. These details add historical inscriptions on the chapel to the route information. The route name serves a different purpose for orientation than the inscriptions: the name locates the chapel in Fröhlichberg, while the dates formerly displayed refer to its historical inscriptions.

Further along the route

The St. Martiner Höhenweg passes the historic Taborkogel. If you would like to include historic waypoints in your hike, you can consider this section as an addition to the chapels described above.

Discover more destinations: Lemsitz, Lamberg, Zehndorf, Mainsdorf, Eibiswald, Lannach, Sankt Anna Ob Schwanberg, Wiel.

For the broader travel overview: Deutschlandsberg.