Discover Rein: Rein Abbey, Trails and Nature Experiences

Rein combines impressive monastic culture with varied trails through woodland and meadow landscapes. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment in Rein for a family holiday can tailor their stay entirely to their own interests: one day might lead to the Gothic Chapel of the Cross and the museum, while another takes you along a themed trail with nature information, interactive stations or Kneipp facilities. This creates a travel itinerary that combines culture and activity without committing to just one type of experience.

Rein Abbey as a Cultural Centre

Rein Abbey was founded in 1129 and is considered the oldest Cistercian abbey in the world. The Gothic Chapel of the Cross, dating from 1409, is particularly worth seeing. Inside, you will find valuable frescoes and wall paintings from the 15th century. This combination of medieval architectural history and sacred art gives a stay in Rein a distinct cultural dimension.

Another way to get your bearings is the Stein.Zeit.Museum at Rein Abbey. It can be visited free of charge during the stated opening hours. This allows you to complement your visit to the abbey with a museum visit. For travellers who want to explore historic places in more depth rather than just passing through, accommodation in Rein can therefore serve as a starting point for sightseeing and walks.

Trails for Nature Experiences and Shared Activities

The “Rein in den Wald” adventure trail combines nature experiences and forest knowledge at ten stations along a family-friendly circular route. The stations give the walk a thematic framework and turn it into a shared discovery tour. If you prefer to combine nature with a specific animal and landscape theme, the Alpenbockweg trail features information boards about the alpine longhorn beetle, which is under nature protection.

The Alpenbockweg trail runs near Rein Abbey through a natural woodland and meadow landscape. The routes follow gravel and forest tracks. This allows you to choose a trail according to your preferred itinerary for the day: the Alpenbockweg places greater emphasis on landscape and observing nature, while “Rein in den Wald” offers ten stations as fixed points of orientation.

The Reiner Barefoot Trail is ideal for a walk with additional stations. It follows the Mühlbach stream for around 600 metres and offers interactive stations as well as Kneipp facilities. The trail is accessible and suitable for pushchairs. Especially for families with different interests, this route can provide its own playful option among the trails mentioned.

Hiking between Rein Abbey and Maria Straßengel

Between Rein Abbey and the pilgrimage church of Maria Straßengel, the Cistercian Trail follows a section of the several-thousand-kilometre European long-distance hiking trail. The trail can be walked from either location, and arrival and departure by public transport are possible. In addition, RegioBus route 110 connects Graz with Rein Abbey. Anyone choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home in Rein can therefore include both a culturally focused stay and a day of hiking in their itinerary while taking the travel options into account.

The Reiner Culture and Nature Trail has a different focus. This accessible themed trail leads through four stations from Rein Abbey to Enzenbach. Together with the Barefoot Trail, the Alpenbockweg and the adventure trail, it creates a selection of different trail types: nature knowledge, landscape, interactive activities and culture can be weighted differently depending on your interests for the day.

Rein as a Starting Point for Your Stay

When looking for accommodation in Rein, you can use your preferred focus as a decision-making aid: Should your stay primarily offer culture, family-friendly interactive activities or a longer hike? Choose a holiday apartment or holiday home according to which of these travel ideas you would like to combine.

The following destinations are also available for further orientation: Hausmannstätten, Mühlriegel, Kumberg, Wundschuh, Gschnaidt, Sankt Bartholomä, Hart, Unterfriesach.

To the higher-level travel overview: Graz-Umgebung.