Breitenau offers several specific points of interest for a short break: the history of Loreto Chapel and Gutenberg Castle, as well as named routes for hiking and cycling. When planning, you can first decide whether to focus on the historic buildings or a particular route. The route descriptions provide different reference points: a downhill section, named sections through localities, and a tour with a destination followed by a descent. This lets you consider cultural history, hiking and cycling as distinct interests.
Chapel and Castle as Cultural Landmarks
Loreto Chapel was built from 1691 by Sigmund von Stubenberg as a symbol of Catholicism and was named after the Italian pilgrimage site of the same name. It stands on higher ground west of and above Gutenberg Castle; an avenue connects the two buildings. Gutenberg Castle, also known as Gutenberg Fortress, was built from 1184 on a rock projecting into the Raab Gorge.
There are two distinct ways to focus on the cultural sites: at the chapel, its dedication and name are central, while at the castle, the focus is on its construction history and rocky setting. The buildings also differ in age: construction of the castle began in 1184, while the chapel was built from 1691. The avenue and the chapel’s elevated position also provide clear spatial reference points between the buildings.
Distinguishing Hiking and Cycling Routes
The marked 100,000 Steps trail passes through Breitenau along a downhill section. The Buchberg–Breitenau Trail runs partly through Breitenau and partly through Buchberg. Hiking Trail 753 is part of the route from Mariatrost to Buchberg through Breitenau. The Schöcklblick Tour leads to Burgstaller Höhe and then downhill through Breitenau. Hiking Trail 753 adds two named endpoints to the individual route sections.
The routes can therefore be distinguished by different features: one trail is described by its downhill stretch, the Buchberg–Breitenau Trail by its sections in two localities, and the Schöcklblick Tour by its destination and subsequent descent. As a cycling option, the Schöcklblick Tour offers a different focus from the marked trails and routes described by their localities. When planning, you can first sort by activity and then by the relevant direction or locality.
More Nature Trails and Local Routes
In the wider municipal area, the Schöckl Circuit runs mostly along well-maintained hiking trails and forest tracks, with short sections on roads. Its mix of trail types sets it apart from individual stretches described by locality or direction. The Raab Gorge is also part of the wider municipal area: it is over 10 kilometres long and offers visitors a special hiking experience. Gutenberg-Stenzengreith is one of the municipalities in the Raab Gorge Natura 2000 site.
In the context of its host municipality, the Stenzengreith Themed Trail follows a romantic wild stream through the so-called Mühlgraben; there is a place to rest by a small waterfall. The stream and resting spot give this themed trail a scenic focus, while the Schöckl Circuit is described mainly in terms of its trail types, and other routes by locality or direction. These natural features differ both from the historic buildings and from one another: sometimes the focus is on a rocky setting or an avenue, sometimes on a stream, a place to rest or the course of a route.
Discover more destinations: Naintsch, Pircha, Brand, Hofstätten An Der Raab, Miesenbach Bei Birkfeld, Fischbach, Gschaid bei Birkfeld, Anger.
For the broader travel overview: Weiz.
