Köflach: Thermal Waters, Culture and Hiking Trails

For a stay in Köflach, three clear interests can be distinguished: thermal waters, cultural history, and trails with a scenic or cultural focus. When planning, you can decide whether Therme NOVA, historic sites or outdoor activities are your priority. In the thermal baths, water and saunas are among the defining features, while each trail offers its own scenic or cultural highlights.

Thermal Waters and Trails Starting at Therme NOVA

At the heart of the thermal experience at Therme NOVA Köflach is the natural thermal water of Barbara Spring. The thermal baths have more than 1,000 square metres of water surface. They also feature an extensive sauna area on two levels, with views over the rolling hills of western Styria.

The Maestoso Loop offers a different way to enjoy outdoor activity. It starts at Therme NOVA, by Dechantteich pond, and first leads through the forest towards Heiliger Berg in Bärnbach. If you choose your excursions by their character, you can distinguish this trail from the circular routes, each with their own scenic or cultural connections.

Cultural History in Köflach and Piber

The caves on Zigöllerkogel, north-northwest of Köflach, have been known since the Middle Ages. Stone tools and animal remains dating to approximately 18,000 to 12,000 BC were discovered in a rock shelter on the mountain. The Köflach Museum documents human presence since the Palaeolithic, including the Heidentempel on Zigöllerkogel. Visitors are welcomed for a behind-the-scenes look by prior arrangement; it is best to confirm the arrangements before you arrive.

Also, Piber, a district of Köflach, brings together specific historical and cultural connections: it is the birthplace and childhood home of the Lipizzaners. The parish church in Piber contains high-quality Roman stones. The Lipizzaners offer a different thematic focus from the archaeological finds on Zigöllerkogel or the Roman stones in the church.

Kunsthaus Köflach was built around 1900. During the “Mythos Pferd” provincial exhibition, the municipality of Köflach purchased it in 2003 and converted it into a modern exhibition venue. Several exhibitions are presented there every year. The building’s history and its use as an exhibition venue thus provide a cultural highlight distinct from the prehistoric sites and Roman stones.

Circular Trails, Landscapes and Practical Information

The Zigöllerkogel Circular Trail (94) passes Lipizzaner pastures at the foot of Zigöllerkogel and runs through beech forest. The KERN-BUAM Panorama Hiking Trail, by contrast, focuses on the mountain village of Graden and a cultural dedication: it loops around Graden as a tribute to the legendary musicians of the Kern Buam. If you choose between the trails based on their stated focus, the Zigöllerkogel Circular Trail offers forest and pastures, while the KERN-BUAM Trail offers a musical tribute.

The Lipizzanerheimat Activity Park has seasonal opening hours: depending on the weather, it is open between March and October from 07:00 to 20:00. Smoking, animals and cycling are strictly prohibited on the grounds. As opening hours and rules may change, check them locally before planning a visit. The park rules are an important practical consideration when choosing between a visit there and the trails described above.

Discover more destinations: Maria Lankowitz, Kleinsöding, Modriach, Hirschegg-Rein, Kniezenberg, Steinberg Bei Ligist, Mooskirchen

For the higher-level travel overview: Voitsberg.