Discover Poppenforst

If you are planning a stay focused on hiking, Poppenforst offers a specific point of reference: the St. Martiner Höhenweg and its named stops. The route through the village is signposted and marked; it is maintained by the Deutschlandsberg section of the Alpine Club. The official route guide was updated in 2024. The Höhenweg starts at Deutschlandsberg railway station and runs via Kogelbauer Chapel, Riemerberg, Poppenforst, Fröhlichberg, Aigneregg and Sulberegg to St. Martin im Sulmtal railway station. The markings describe the route, while the sequence of places indicates its direction between the two stations.

Rest stop and viewpoint at Weinbau Plank

At Weinbau Plank, also known as “Zwinger Poppenforst,” an asphalt spur leads to a rise in the terrain. There you will find a furnished arbor; an idyllically situated rest stop is also located on the rise. At the highest point of the vineyard, the route reaches a viewpoint. For orientation, it is useful to distinguish between the locations: the arbor and rest stop are associated with the rise, while the viewpoint is at the highest point of the vineyard. This makes it possible to regard the rest stop and viewpoint as separate features along the route, even though both are located at Weinbau Plank.

Chapels and historical traces

Hohl Chapel is situated at an elevation of 412 metres near a small Marian chapel. From Weinbau Plank, the path continues to this small Marian chapel. Beyond Poppenforst, the St. Martiner Höhenweg describes Hohl Chapel as the larger of two blue chapels; Fröhlichberg is the named route reference here. The details provide different points of orientation: the elevation and proximity to the Marian chapel describe its location, while the designation as the larger blue chapel places Hohl Chapel in the course of the route. Before the most recent repainting, the year 1847 was displayed on Hohl Chapel, and an inscription in the gateway area referred to renovation in 1986. The two dates should be understood differently: 1847 is given as a year, while the inscription concerns a renovation in 1986.

The planning entry at the time for the May devotional programme 2026 listed Poppenforst in the village schedule for the second week of May, on 13 May 2026; everyone was invited to attend.

Further along the route and travel planning

Near Poppenforst, the hiking route passes the historically significant Taborkogel. For travel planning, two scales are relevant: the Höhenweg connects two railway stations and passes through several named places, while the rest stop, viewpoint and chapels are individual features along the way. If you choose Poppenforst as your destination, you can decide whether to focus more on the entire route or on specific cultural and rest stops.

Getting to the starting point

Trains on the S6 or S61 lines from Graz reach Deutschlandsberg railway station, the starting point of the St. Martiner Höhenweg. Check the current timetable before travelling. This lets you include the journey to the starting station in your hiking plans.

Discover more destinations: Furth, Breitenbach in der Weststeiermark, Wiel, Graschuh, Freidorf An Der Laßnitz, Wies, Sankt Anna Ob Schwanberg, Preding.

See the main travel overview: Deutschlandsberg.