EBIKE EUROPE • ROUTE REVIEW
South Styria - E-bike route review
Discover South Styria from one base on four circular e-bike rides through vineyards, rolling countryside, charming villages and pumpkin fields. Covering 198 km over four days, the routes offer plenty of opportunities to enjoy the region’s scenery, local food and wine along the way.
Why ride South Styria?
If your idea of the perfect cycling holiday is quiet country roads, vineyard-covered hills, welcoming villages, fantastic local food and the chance to slow down and enjoy every kilometre, then this region is an absolute delight.
Over four days we cycled almost 200 kilometres through one of Austria’s quieter corners, exploring vineyards, pumpkin fields, orchards, riverside paths and rolling farmland. We discovered a crop we’d never seen before, sorghum, stopped at friendly cafés, sampled Schilcher wine and filled the car with bottles of the region’s famous pumpkin seed oil before heading home.
What stayed with me most wasn’t one spectacular viewpoint or famous attraction.
Instead, it was the feeling.
Everything seemed more relaxed. The villages were beautifully cared for, gardens overflowed with flowers and people were genuinely happy to stop and chat about their area.
South Styria isn’t about rushing from one attraction to another. It’s about cycling through vineyards, stopping for lunch at a Buschenschank and taking the time to enjoy what you find around the next corner.
For me, this is slow travel at its very best.
Perfect for
South Styria is a wonderful choice if you want a relaxed, scenic e-bike holiday with great food and wine, without the crowds. It’s ideal if you enjoy a mix of cycling, culture and time to savour the experience.
E-bikers
Rolling hills, quiet roads and well-surfaced routes make this tour ideal for e-bike riders who are comfortable with a few climbs along the way.
Photography Lovers
Vineyard views, charming villages and colourful fields offer endless photo opportunities around almost every corner.
Food and Wine Enthusiasts
From Buschenschänken and local specialities to Schilcher wine and pumpkin seed oil, food is very much part of the South Styrian experience.
Slow Travel Seekers
If you love taking your time, soaking up the atmosphere and discovering the people and places along the way, you’ll feel right at home here.
Whether you’re here for the views, the food or the warm welcome, South Styria delivers a relaxed e-bike experience you won’t forget.
Day 1 - 64 KM • 650 M
Schilcher Tour South
Vineyards, orchards and the perfect introduction to South Styria.
We start the tour surrounded by vineyards and fruit orchards. Quiet country roads take us through small villages and up to beautiful viewpoints. A few gentle climbs rewards us with stunning views across the rolling hills of South Styria.
Lindsey's Tip
Take a picnic and have your lunch overlooking a vineyard. We stopped above Frauental an der Laßnitz.
Day 2 - 51 KM • 450 M
A gentler day of riverside cycling, pretty villages and peaceful farmland, with plenty of shade and wildlife to enjoy along the way.
Lindsey's Tip
Don’t rush today.
Take time to notice what’s growing in the fields and enjoy the slower pace.
One of our favourite discoveries was the Klapotetz, the traditional wooden windmills used to scare birds away from ripening grapes.
Another unexpected discovery was fields of sorghum, a drought-resistant crop becoming increasingly important across Europe because it copes much better with hot, dry summers than maize.
Day 3 - 47 KM • 900 M
Schilcher Tour north
The most challenging day with forests and rewarding viewpoints. St. Stefan ob Stainz is worth a visit for the views alone.
Beautiful scenery around St. Stefan ob Stainz, with some challenging climbs rewarded by excellent viewpoints across the surrounding countryside.
Lindsey's Tip
This was my least favourite of the four rides. The scenery around St. Stefan ob Stainz is beautiful, with some lovely viewpoints along the way. However, there are several challenging climbs and, for me, the rewards didn’t always justify the effort.
Day 4 - 57 KM • 570 M
Sausalter Tour
My favourite ride of the trip, combining panoramic vineyard views and beautiful Kitzeck with pumpkin oil mills and wonderful Buschenschänken along the way.
Lindsey's Tip
Kitzeck is iconic in this area so make the effort to go all the way to the village. You get everything today, panoramic views, vineyards, farmland, cute villages, this was a perfect finish to the holiday.
Before you ride
Navigation
Komoot + Local Tourist Office maps
Surface
Mainly paved with short gravel sections
Food & drink
Buschenschänken, Schilcher wine & pumpkin oil
Best Time
Spring or late summer into autumn
Where we stayed
We stayed at Seewaldhof an old farmhouse tucked into the hills above Bad Schwanberg, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip.
Around seven kilometres uphill from the town, it’s wonderfully peaceful and private, with breathtaking views across the surrounding countryside. The farmhouse has plenty of character, including a few creaky bits, but that’s all part of its charm. Most importantly, it was incredibly comfortable.
In the evenings, we cooked with local produce we’d picked up during the day and watched the sun set across the hills towards Leibnitz. It was a lovely way to finish a day’s cycling.
The owner, Sonja, was incredibly welcoming and knows the area inside out.
If you’re looking for peace, character and a rather special setting, I’d thoroughly recommend it
The View from Lindsey’s Saddle
South Styria quietly won me over. I saw a film by an Austrian World Cup skier last winter, who lives in the area and I immediately put it on “the list” for this summer, and I am so glad I did.
It isn’t loud or dramatic, and that’s exactly why I enjoyed it so much.
Four days of peaceful cycling through vineyards, farmland and welcoming villages reminded me that some of the best cycling holidays aren’t about famous landmarks. They’re about slowing down, enjoying local food, chatting to the people you meet and appreciating the little things along the way.
The smell of freshly pressed pumpkin seed oil drifting through the countryside is something I’ll always associate with this region.
Next time, I’d spend longer here.
There are plenty more routes to explore, more Buschenschänken to discover and perhaps I’ll finally be brave enough to try the local carp that appeared on so many menus.
Ultimately, if you enjoy cycling for the scenery, the food and the experience rather than simply the kilometres, I think you’ll fall in love with South Styria just as I did.
