Winegrowing and hiking come together in Eckberg. Gamlitz Castle is located at the foot of the Eckberg Wine Road; Eckberg is also home to wineries and hiking trails. When planning your trip, you can therefore focus on different interests: architecture and history, a tasting by appointment, or a hike through forests and vineyards.
Gamlitz Castle: Architecture and History
Gamlitz Castle is a square building dating from the 17th century. Its distinctive features include a Baroque façade and a Mediterranean-style courtyard. The earliest records of the castle date from 1111. This year refers to the early records; the description of the square building refers to the 17th century. This distinguishes the historical records from the architectural form without conflating them into a single construction date.
The castle is located at the foot of the Eckberg Wine Road and offers numerous wine-related activities. This connects a visit to the building with a clear focus on wine. Those interested in architecture can focus on the Baroque façade and courtyard; those who want to emphasize the wine connection can also find it at the wineries on Eckberg. Both interests are part of the same travel experience, but remain distinct reasons for a visit.
Wine Tastings by Appointment
Im Himmelreich Winery is located on Eckberg in Gamlitz. It has a long history and has been rebuilt. Tastings are held exclusively in the wine room and by advance reservation. In good weather, the tasting can also take place on the tasting terrace. Advance reservation is the key planning step for this visit; use of the terrace depends on the weather.
At Haidic Winery, visitors can taste the range of wines. Guided tours and tastings are available there at any time by appointment. The arrangements therefore differ: a tasting at Im Himmelreich Winery requires an advance reservation, while tours and tastings at Haidic can be arranged by appointment. If you plan to take a guided tour, factor this appointment into your travel plans.
Hiking Trails and Their Waypoints
The Eckberg–Steinbach–Ratsch Circular Hiking Trail No. 6 leads from Eckbergerhof Ferlinz through forests and vineyards towards Steinbach. It then follows the edge of the forest towards the South Styrian Wine Road. The route description identifies both the landscape along the way and the directions you can use to orient yourself: first Steinbach, then the South Styrian Wine Road.
Haidic Winery is located on Hiking Trail No. 5 in Eckberg. When planning, it is helpful to distinguish this reference point from Circular Hiking Trail No. 6: Haidic is associated with Hiking Trail No. 5, while No. 6 is a circular route through forests and vineyards towards Steinbach and onward to the South Styrian Wine Road. The numbers refer to different hiking trails, so the description of one trail should not be conflated with the winery's location on the other.
Plan Your Stay Around Your Interests
When looking for a hotel, you can first decide what you want your stay to focus on: Gamlitz Castle, a wine tasting by appointment, or a hike on Circular Hiking Trail No. 6. This lets you tailor your accommodation search to the trip you have in mind, rather than combining different activities into a single fixed itinerary. Be sure to observe the applicable advance reservation or appointment requirements for tastings.
Discover more destinations: Vogau, Langegg, Sankt Nikolai Im Sausal, Greith, Gleinstätten, Kaindorf, Kranach, Ottenberg.
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