Schöcklblick: Eyes on the Hausberg
Graz, Austria · Oct 24, 2023
A short loop that slips out of central Graz and turns north toward the Schöckl, the city's local mountain. It links the Mur bike path with a fantastic gravel stretch through the Leechwald, the Basilika Mariatrost, and a moderate climb over the Platte before rolling home. The unpaved share is small, but the gravel that is here is the good kind, and the whole ride fits inside a spare few hours.
The Schöcklblick is the easy answer when you want to get out of Graz, see the local mountain, and still be back in time for the rest of your day. It starts at the Mur promenade and follows the main bike lane along the river into the city center, passing under the Schlossberg with its famous clock tower. From there it heads north and steadily trades pavement for the trees and gravel of the Leechwald. This is a true loop, so you finish exactly where you began, which makes it a relaxed pick for a morning or an afternoon rather than a whole day.
The riding character is gentle for most of the way, with a small but rewarding off-road section at its heart. After a coffee stop near the Schlossberg, where Maghanoy doubles as a bike shop but stays closed on weekends, the route works through the Stadtpark and past Karl Franzens University to the Hilmteich. Here you enter the wood and the gravel finally begins. That fantastic path through the Leechwald carries you to the Basilika Mariatrost, a hilltop pilgrimage church and a favourite spot to pause, before a moderate climb around the Platte, a small mountain that locals know mainly for its mountain bike trails.
This route is one of Gerald Haueisen's picks from his Graz gravel guide, where it stands as the shortest and most accessible of his three loops around the city.
The highlight is the view. What goes up must come down, and the descent off the Platte opens onto the Schöckl, the 1445 metre Hausberg of Graz. Strong riders can climb all the way to the top, but the loop as drawn keeps things relaxed and lets the mountain stay a backdrop rather than a goal. The closing kilometres mostly follow a cycle path back into the city and the starting point, so the navigation looks after itself once you are pointed home.
The unpaved share is small, only around 15 percent, and none of it is technical, so this is a comfortable ride on a gravel bike or even a sturdy all-road bike with modest tires. It rides best from spring to autumn, when the Leechwald is dry and the days are long. Start and finish at the Mur promenade, where coffee-and-bike spots like Maghanoy and Coffee Ride sit within easy reach for a pre-ride espresso or a quick service. In summer, treat yourself to ice cream at the foot of the Basilika next to the little pond before the gentle roll back into town.
