The Lurgrotte has an entrance in each of Semriach and Peggau. You can begin your exploration from either village, accompanied by expert guides. Lurgrotte Peggau is considered Austria’s largest show cave with an underground stream. A scenic e-bike tour also takes up the cave theme: the Lurgrotten Tour 739 leads from Peggau to the Semriach high plateau and focuses on the Lurgrotten caves.
High Plateau and Trails on the Schöckl
Semriach lies on a high plateau in the hilly Schöckl region. Its municipal area includes five mountains over 1,000 metres high: the Schöckl at 1,445 metres, Fragnerberg at 1,109 metres, Rinnweberkogel at 1,041 metres, Hochtrötsch at 1,239 metres and Windhofkogel at 1,064 metres. The Schöckl area offers a total of 40 kilometres of hiking and walking trails. Geologically, the Schöckl is a limestone massif on crystalline bedrock—a striking contrast between the rock formations and trails through the mountain landscape.
The Hexenexpress offers another way to experience the Schöckl: this 1,000-metre summer toboggan run leads from the cable car’s mountain station down to the Halterhütte. In the same area, extensive hiking and walking trails are complemented by a clearly defined toboggan run.
Museums, Monastery and Art
The Austrian Open-Air Museum Stübing is located right on the Mur Cycle Path. It comprises more than 100 historic buildings and is one of the ten largest museums of its kind in Europe. Rein Abbey tells a much older story: founded in 1129, it is considered the oldest Cistercian abbey in the world. The historic monastery grounds and church are open to visitors at all times; the monastery rooms, library and exhibition can be visited as part of daily guided tours. The abbey’s forests also invite you to enjoy extended walks and hikes.
The pilgrimage church of Maria Strassengel houses the largest collection of medieval stained glass in Styria. These works of art offer a different focus from the historic buildings at Stübing or the guided tours at Rein Abbey: here, the stained glass itself takes centre stage.
The Kesselfallklamm gorge also combines a nature experience with a striking feature. It is a protected natural monument; its longest waterfall plunges 38 metres over several cascades and pools.
Thal: Museum and Trails on Different Scales
The Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum in Thal uses numerous exhibits to showcase Schwarzenegger’s childhood and youth in Thal, his time as a bodybuilder, his film career and his time as governor. The Arnold Schwarzenegger hiking trail starts and ends right by the museum, covering 7.3 kilometres through Thal. The West Styrian Way of St James is on a different scale: it also starts in Thal, but runs in eight stages all the way to Lavamünd. The Arnold Schwarzenegger hiking trail covers 7.3 kilometres through Thal; the West Styrian Way of St James also starts there and runs in eight stages to Lavamünd.
Graz-Umgebung as a Travel Destination
The state tourism factsheet (February 2025 edition) places Graz-Umgebung within the “Region Graz” tourism association. This association covers 32 municipalities in Graz (city), Graz-Umgebung and Voitsberg. According to the state tourism factsheet (February 2025 edition), Graz-Umgebung is mainly used as a nearby recreation area for the city of Graz. At the same time, the caves, trails, museums and historic sites described here offer different reasons to explore the region.
If you’re looking for a hotel in Graz-Umgebung, you can first choose what to focus on based on the experiences that interest you: a guided cave tour, trails on the Schöckl, historic collections or a longer multi-stage route starting in Thal. Check current opening hours and dates before your visit, particularly for guided tours.
Discover More Destinations
Semriach, Thondorf, Laßnitzhöhe, Graz, Frohnleiten, Gratkorn, Edelsbach Bei Graz, Hart, Sankt Radegund Bei Graz, Nestelbach Bei Graz, Sankt Peter, Unterfriesach, Sankt Marein Bei Graz, Mühlriegel, Mantscha, Feldkirchen Bei Graz, Fölling, Deutschfeistritz, Rein, Lieboch, Übelbach, Seiersberg, Hönigtal, Kalsdorf Bei Graz, Neudorf, Sankt Bartholomä, Neureiteregg, Kumberg, Gschnaidt, Fernitz Bei Graz, Wundschuh, Premstätten, Gemeinde Gratwein, Tobelbad, Kleinstübing, Hausmannstätten, Attendorf, Raaba, Taschen and Dobl.
For the higher-level travel overview: Styria.
