Pusterwald: Mountain Scenery and Hiking Trails

Pusterwald is in Upper Styria and is surrounded by 15 peaks over 2,000 metres. The village’s highlights include marked hiking trails, a walking path through herbs and flower meadows, local history and a range of leisure activities. This offers different ways to plan a stay: mountain scenery and trails, architectural and local history, or specific activities.

Mountains, Hiking Passes and Trails

At 2,363 m, the Hohenwart is Pusterwald’s highest summit. While the 15 peaks over 2,000 metres describe the mountain scenery as a whole, the Hohenwart is a specific high point. Hikers can choose from three different hiking passes in Pusterwald. The mountaineering pass leads to six summits. The hiking trails are well marked, and collecting stamps can earn you a hiking badge. Summit destinations and stamp collecting offer different points of reference when exploring the hiking options.

The Wilder Wegesrand walking trail passes a variety of native herbs and leads to a 360° viewing bench overlooking a species-rich flower meadow. Here, the focus is on plants and meadows, while the mountaineering pass centres on summit destinations. This distinction can help you choose among the hiking options described, according to your interests.

Local History and Architecture

The valley was referred to as Freytal in 1294; the name Pusterwald first appeared in 1318. The late Gothic Roman Catholic parish church of Maria im Moos in the municipality of Pusterwald was built around 1430. The history of the name and the building’s history are different historical points of reference: one looks back at earlier names, the other at the period when a building was constructed.

Leisure Activities and Excursion Destinations

The Pusterwald gold panning site provides a shovel, a gold pan and brief instructions for gold panning. The hut at the site serves a hearty snack featuring regional products. The Murtalbett Pusterwald photo spot offers something different: sun loungers where you can relax and enjoy impressive views of the region.

The Pusterwald family ski lift has a drag lift and varied runs in a small family ski park. The facilities also include a cross-country ski trail about 1 km long. The runs and trail are different winter activities; the trail adds cross-country skiing to the lift and downhill area.

Getting There and the Wildalm Hut

The Pusterwald valley is accessible by road only via the L528 Pusterwaldstraße. This is the main road to bear in mind when travelling to the valley. Two details are relevant when planning an excursion to the Wildalm Hut: during the summer months, you may drive as far as the Wildalm Hut car park, and the hut is about an hour from that car park. The hut serves hikers drinks, snacks and cake. If you are planning an excursion there, bear in mind both the summer access to the car park and the approximate one-hour walk to the hut.

Discover more destinations: Sankt Georgen Ob Judenburg, Sankt Anna Am Lavantegg, Sankt Johann Am Tauern, Weißkirchen in der Steiermark, Sauerbrunn, Hinterwinkel, Sankt Wolfgang-Kienberg, Obdach

For the overview of the wider travel area: Judenburg.