From the Stainz lookout tower, the panoramic view stretches as far as the Bachern Mountains in northern Slovenia. Stainz Castle adds a cultural dimension: the monastery complex combines several architectural styles and houses museums covering a range of subjects. Hiking trails, the landscape around Stainz, a nostalgic railway and the outdoor swimming pool round out the options. You can tailor your stay to whether you are most interested in history, views, outdoor activities or the local landscape.
Stainz Castle and its museums
The monastery complex at Stainz Castle was originally Romanesque. The Augustinian Canons expanded it, remodeled it and rebuilt parts of it in the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. The former refectory features elaborate stucco work and paintings. Together, the building’s history and interior design offer a tangible impression of the castle’s many facets.
Each museum focuses on a different subject. The Agricultural Museum uses a varied presentation to show how farming and forestry have developed in Styria. At the Archduke Johann Museum, ideas, models, institutions and challenges offer insights into life in the 19th century. The museum thus focuses both on the development of an economically important regional sector and on a historical way of life.
Since September 2006, the Hunting Museum has explored hunting culture in all its facets and the interplay between people and nature. On the second floor, the tour continues as a “stalk”: you can look for animal tracks and listen to animal calls. This section connects the museum’s theme with a practical observation activity.
Stainz lookout tower: views and access
The 26-metre-high Stainz lookout tower stands on the 608-metre-high Lethkogel. Its panoramic view extends from the Koralpe and Gleinalpe ranges, across the Graz Mountains and the hills of eastern Styria, to the Bachern Mountains in northern Slovenia. The vista thus spans a wide range of different landscapes. Built in 1902, the tower can be reached on foot via several family-friendly hiking trails or by car via a nearby parking lot.
The Höllerhansl Trail is a good option if you would like to compare a hike with a visit to the lookout tower. This unspoiled, year-round, family-friendly trail has mostly gentle climbs and passes farmhouses, vineyards and chapels. Along the Höllerhansl Trail, the points along the route shape the hiking experience; at the tower, the panoramic view takes center stage. The two options therefore have different focuses, without requiring assumptions about walking time or trail length.
The landscape and activities around Stainz
The area around Stainz includes fertile plains planted with corn, wheat and pumpkins, the characteristically steep slopes where Schilcher wine grapes are grown, small streams and springs. The forests of Reinischkogel and Rosenkogel, on the foothills of the Koralpe massif, are also part of this landscape. Stainz is a popular starting point for longer cycling and hiking trips into the scenic surroundings. The Höllerhansl Trail offers a clearly described hiking experience, with farmhouses, vineyards and chapels as features along the route; the lookout tower offers a different focus, with its wide-ranging panorama.
Another option is the Stainz Flascherlzug, a nostalgic railway with historic vehicles and carriages. Those interested in historic railway vehicles will find a different subject here from those covered by the museums or hiking trails. Stainz outdoor swimming pool has a slide about 60 metres long for children aged six and over. There is also a multipurpose pool with water features and a children’s pool with a water slide.
Getting here from Graz
The direct regional bus from Graz to Stainz main square takes about an hour. Check the current timetable before travelling, as route information may change. The options make it easy to choose the focus of your stay: the castle and museums offer different ways to explore culture and history, the lookout tower and hiking trails each offer their own outdoor experience, and the outdoor swimming pool adds a place to swim.
Discover more destinations: Trog, Poppenforst, Greisdorf, Lamberg, Hörmsdorf, Wiel, Preding, Gamsgebirg
View the broader travel guide: Deutschlandsberg.
