Kitzeck Im Sausal: Wine Hiking Trails and Culture

Kitzeck im Sausal combines the landscape of the Sausal Wine Road with varied hiking trails, wine-growing history and prominent destinations around Demmerkogel. The village lies at an elevation of 564 m and is considered Austria’s highest wine-growing village.

Wine hiking trails with different focuses

The Kitzeck Wine Hiking Trail K8 leads through the Kroisgraben. Along the way, you pass an old watermill, fish ponds and a lavender field before the trail returns to the Kitzeck Wine Museum. Those who include this route in their travel plans will find a combination of scenery and regional wine tradition. An additional trail option is route 8a: it is a connecting trail to K2 and leads to Demmerkogel.

The Kitzeck–Demmerkogel Loop K4 also has a distinct scenic character. After a steady ascent, it leads through Hochbrudersegg to Demmerkogel at an elevation of 671 m. Demmerkogel is home to the world’s largest Klapotetz, which is 17 m high and stands in the municipal area of St. Andrä-Höch. In the wider area around Kitzeck im Sausal, there is also the Butterfly Meadow on the southwestern slope of Demmerkogel, west of Kitzeck im Sausal.

Another trail idea is the Kitzeck–Einöd Trail K3. It leads to Einöd as far as the Malli Winery, which is described as Austria’s steepest wine-growing estate, and returns via the old Roman road. In the wider area, the Great Adventure at Demmerkogel leads over a distance of 3,856 m via eight adventure stations to the Butterfly Meadow nature reserve at the highest point of Demmerkogel. This allows you to choose between wine growing, historical routes and nature experiences according to your interests.

Wine-growing history and special cultural destinations

The 1st Styrian Wine Museum in Kitzeck im Sausal opened in 1979 and is housed in the rooms of an old farmhouse. It displays rural household items and presents the development of cellar management using information panels and corresponding tools. The museum thus complements the trails through the wine landscape with tangible insights into past working and living environments.

Another historical destination is Kitzeck Parish Church, which is dedicated to the Sorrowful Mother and was built between 1640 and 1644. Its high altar features a Pietà. The furnishings also include a mechanical cone-chest organ (I/8) with a detached console, built in 1896 as Opus 9 by Conrad Hopferwieser (Graz). The organ is a listed monument and is now played only rarely. The church stands on a picturesque hill along the Sausal Wine Road and offers expansive views over the surrounding countryside.

Accommodation and travel arrangements to suit your plans

The Sausal Wine Road branches off in Fresing through mixed woodland to Kitzeck and leads to Austria’s highest vineyards. From Kitzeck, it continues to Demmerkogel. You can explore the road by car, bicycle or on foot. A holiday apartment or holiday home in Kitzeck im Sausal is therefore particularly well suited to travel plans focused on wine-growing villages, trails and cultural destinations, without restricting you to just one type of experience.

For the Kitzeck Wine Hiking Trail K8, the nearest railway station is in Leibnitz. Parking is available opposite the Kitzeck municipal office or near the Raiffeisenbank in Kitzeck. This information will help you plan your journey and choose a starting point for your day. Find more places to explore here: Eichberg-Trautenburg, Glanz An Der Weinstraße, Pößnitz, Greith, Heimschuh, Sankt Nikolai im Sausal, Langegg and Oberhaag.

To the overarching travel overview: Leibnitz.