Sankt Bartholomä: Chapel Trails, Culture and Hilly Landscapes

Sankt Bartholomä combines a peaceful hilly landscape with meadows, forest paths and small settlements, historic churches and signposted trails. Those looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home will find a variety of options for planning their days: pilgrimage-style hikes, regional culture, a moderately challenging cycling route and the traditions of Styrian Buschenschänken.

Chapel Trails and Hikes through the Landscape

The Bartholomä chapel trails pass 27 religious landmarks or field monuments. There are four circular routes in total, with a pilgrimage-like character. The trails are signposted and run mostly along local roads and surfaced paths. This makes it possible to plan your exploration in stages without focusing your stay on a single attraction.

Another option is the Sankt Bartholomä Wunderwanderweg trail. It runs mostly along surfaced paths and forest tracks, is signposted and can be walked in either direction. The Reiteregg Easter Cross Chapel is a highlighted stop along the way. Depending on your preferred daily rhythm, you can include the chapel trails or the Wunderwanderweg as an experience in their own right in your travel plans.

Old Church, Museum and Local History

The “Old Church” was built in the Romanesque style, enlarged during the Late Gothic period and probably dates from the early 13th century. An inscription in the church refers to the year 1239, which is considered the oldest evidence of the existence of the municipality of Sankt Bartholomä. The bell tower houses the permanent exhibition “Korenstub´n” about Hanns Koren.

The Hanns Koren Museum is also dedicated to this personality. Personal objects, documents and informative texts present the many facets of Hanns Koren’s life. By contrast, the parish church in Sankt Bartholomä was built between 1864 and 1867. A cultural walk therefore brings different historical periods together without reducing the town to a single era.

Cycling, Regional Specialities and Traditions

For a more active outing, the moderately challenging Liebochtal cycle route R56 passes through Sankt Bartholomä. The cycle route is 36.0 km long; an e-bike charging station is available in Sankt Bartholomä along the route. Those who prefer to include local culinary delights can sample wines from Sankt Bartholomä at the Buschenschänken and enjoy a hearty Jaus’n with them.

The Bartholomä Kegelstatt has a distinctive cultural character. The traditional skill game Luahmbudln is played on a restored, heritage-listed skittle alley. Since 2009, Sankt Bartholomä has also hosted the “Aufbartholomäern” community festival, which focuses on music and culinary delights.

Which Type of Stay Suits You?

If you mainly want to spend time outdoors, the signposted circular routes and the Wunderwanderweg are the main attractions. For culture-focused days, you can combine the Old Church, the “Korenstub´n” and the Hanns Koren Museum in your itinerary. Cyclists can take the 36.0 km Liebochtal cycle route into account, while Buschenschänken and regional festivals add a pleasurable touch. When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can therefore first decide whether your trip should be shaped more by activity, history, regional cuisine or a mixture of these themes.

For more travel ideas, you can also explore Frohnleiten, Sankt Peter, Mantscha, Attendorf, Seiersberg, Rein, Graz and Sankt Marein Bei Graz.

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