Radatlas Österreich

MUR

Mur Cycle Path

Salzburg · Styria

Distance
359km
Ascent
1,444m
Descent
2,986m
EasyPavedTouring / gravelMUR

01 - Overview

The Mur Cycle Path follows the Mur from its high-alpine origin in the Salzburg Lungau for some 360 kilometres across Styria - from the mountains via Graz to the southern-Styrian wine country at the Slovenian border. Largely downhill and mostly paved, it is one of Austria’s most popular leisure cycle routes.

From the Sticklerhütte at around 1,750 metres in the Lungau the route rolls down along the young Mur - through Tamsweg and across the provincial border to Murau with its brewery. Through the broad Upper Mur valley it passes the Star Tower of Judenburg and the industrial Mur valley via Leoben to Bruck an der Mur. After the narrow Mur gorge near Frohnleiten the path reaches the provincial capital Graz, with its Schlossberg, UNESCO old town and the floating Mur Island, before finishing flat through the southern-Styrian wine country to Bad Radkersburg on the border. Mostly paved and gently downhill throughout, the Mur Cycle Path is a relaxed family and leisure route; beyond the border it continues, signposted, as the international Mur route to the Drava in Croatia.

Regions
Salzburg · Styria
Start
Muhr/Sticklerhütte
Finish
Bad Radkersburg
Surface
Paved
Network
Regional
Best season
May - October
Signposting
fully signposted
Families
well suited
Road-bike friendly
Partly · Mixed surfacewell documented
Surface (measured) · based on 97 % surveyed surface

98 % comfortably ridable, but a 2.5 km gravel stretch - nicer on a gravel or touring bike.

  • Paved92 % · 331 km
  • Paving stones0 % · 0.9 km
  • Fine gravel3 % · 9.4 km
  • Gravel2 % · 7.1 km
  • Unknown3 % · 11 km

02 - Stages

7 stages · 359 km

01Muhr/Sticklerhütte - TamswegMuhr · St. Michael im Lungau44 km

A high-alpine start in the Lungau: from the Sticklerhütte at around 1,750 metres - the first few kilometres still gravel - the path runs along the young Mur through Muhr and sunny St. Michael to the market town of Tamsweg. A long, easy descent with views of the Niedere Tauern.

Ascent
146 m
Descent
929 m
Duration
3-4 h
Surface
Paved · gravel (start)

Surface (measured): paved

02Tamsweg - MurauRamingstein · Predlitz · Stadl an der Mur38 km

Via Ramingstein and the provincial border at Predlitz the route crosses from Salzburg into Styria and, through the upper Mur valley, reaches the medieval town of Murau with its old town, Obermurau Castle and historic brewery. Leisurely downhill.

Ascent
158 m
Descent
372 m
Duration
2.5-3 h
Surface
Paved

Surface (measured): paved 92 % · fine gravel 8 %

03Murau - JudenburgFrauenburg · Unzmarkt50 km

Through the broad, quiet Upper Mur valley past the castle ruin of Frauenburg and via Unzmarkt to Judenburg, whose Star Tower - Austria’s tallest city tower - now houses a planetarium. Flat and relaxed.

Ascent
218 m
Descent
279 m
Duration
3-3.5 h
Surface
Paved

Surface (measured): paved

04Judenburg - Bruck an der MurZeltweg · Knittelfeld · Leoben71 km

The longest section runs through the industrial Mur valley: past the Red Bull Ring near Spielberg, through Knittelfeld and the mining town of Leoben to Bruck an der Mur, with its Gothic Kornmesserhaus on the main square where the Mürz joins. Mostly flat.

Ascent
279 m
Descent
519 m
Duration
4-5 h
Surface
Paved

Surface (measured): paved

05Bruck an der Mur - GrazPernegg · Mixnitz · Frohnleiten61 km

Through the narrow Mur gorge between wooded slopes - past the cliff castle of Rabenstein and the flower town of Frohnleiten - the valley opens to the provincial capital Graz, with its Schlossberg, clock tower, UNESCO old town and the floating Mur Island. Gently rolling in the mountain part, then flat.

Ascent
339 m
Descent
470 m
Duration
4-4.5 h
Surface
Paved

Surface (measured): paved 91 % · fine gravel 9 %

06Graz - LeibnitzWildon · Lebring43 km

Flat through the Graz basin and the Mur’s riparian forests, past the castle hill of Wildon, into the southern-Styrian hill country to Leibnitz near the Roman town of Flavia Solva. The start of the wine country.

Ascent
146 m
Descent
208 m
Duration
2.5-3 h
Surface
Paved

Surface (measured): paved

07Leibnitz - Bad RadkersburgEhrenhausen · Spielfeld · Mureck52 km

The finale through the wine country of southern Styria: past Ehrenhausen and the floating ship-mill of Mureck, across the Pannonian plain to the spa and Renaissance old town of Bad Radkersburg on the Slovenian border. Here the Austrian Mur Cycle Path ends - signposted, the international Mur route continues through Slovenia to Legrad in Croatia, where the Mur meets the Drava.

Ascent
158 m
Descent
209 m
Duration
3-3.5 h
Surface
Paved

Surface (measured): paved 92 % · gravel 8 %

03 - Elevation

Elevation across the full distance - move the cursor to read altitude and kilometre.

Elevation profile over 359 km. Ascent 1444 m, descent 2986 m. Lowest point 203 m, highest point 1748 m.

Elevation from OSM geometry + Digital Terrain Model (DGM) Austria (10 m).

Hover the profile to see the point on the map - and vice versa.

Stay hydrated - a shoutout to r/HydroHomies

04 - POIs & Services

  • St. Leonhard Pilgrimage ChurchCulture · Tamsweg
  • Moosham CastleCulture · Unternberg
  • Old Town & BreweryCulture · Murau
  • Star Tower (Planetarium)Culture · Judenburg
  • KornmesserhausCulture · Bruck an der Mur
  • Rabenstein CastleCulture · Frohnleiten
  • Mur Island & KunsthausCulture · Graz
  • Schlossberg & UNESCO Old TownCulture · Graz
  • Southern Styria Wine CountryLandscape · Ehrenhausen
  • Floating Ship-MillCulture · Mureck
  • Old Town & Town-Hall TowerCulture · Bad Radkersburg

Services along the route

  • Bett+BikeCyclist-friendly Bett+Bike hosts - Styria has Austria’s densest network
  • Luggage transferStage transfer and a return shuttle (e.g. Bad Radkersburg - St. Michael)
  • E-bikeRental and charging points along the valley, incl. St. Michael im Lungau
  • Bike serviceWorkshops in Murau, Judenburg, Bruck an der Mur and Graz
  • Refreshment stopsDrinking fountains, wine taverns and inns right by the river

Service points along the route

  • Drinking water244
  • Repair station43
  • Bike shop45
  • Bike rental2
  • Charging station183

Service points from OpenStreetMap. Coverage may be incomplete, some fountains are seasonal - verify before you rely on them.

05 - Impressions

06 - Public transit

  • MurtalbahnNarrow-gauge railway Unzmarkt - Murau - Tamsweg, bikes carried; seasonal “Murradler” bike train
  • S-Bahn Styria S8Unzmarkt - Knittelfeld - Leoben - Bruck an der Mur, bikes without reservation
  • S-Bahn Styria S1Bruck - Frohnleiten - Graz - Leibnitz - Spielfeld, bikes subject to space
  • Radkersburg Railway S51Spielfeld - Mureck - Bad Radkersburg; the interchange hub is Graz
  • Return shuttleBacher Reisen Bad Radkersburg - St. Michael (May-September, with bike and luggage)

Most riders go west to east downhill and return by train or shuttle. No reservation is needed on regional and S-Bahn services (bikes by space); the interchange hub is Graz. In the Lungau the narrow-gauge Murtalbahn (with a seasonal bike train) carries bikes from Unzmarkt to Tamsweg. At the border in Bad Radkersburg there is no continuous railway into Slovenia - riders following the Mur onward stay in the saddle.

07 - GPX & TCX download

Download for GPS devices & apps

Clean track with elevation - imports as a single tour, compatible with Komoot, Garmin, Wahoo, Strava, RideWithGPS, OsmAnd.

GPXTCX
Download GPXTCX course7 stages · 359 km
Download stages individually (7)
  1. Stage 1Muhr/Sticklerhütte → Tamsweg44 km
  2. Stage 2Tamsweg → Murau38 km
  3. Stage 3Murau → Judenburg50 km
  4. Stage 4Judenburg → Bruck an der Mur71 km
  5. Stage 5Bruck an der Mur → Graz61 km
  6. Stage 6Graz → Leibnitz43 km
  7. Stage 7Leibnitz → Bad Radkersburg52 km

Route derived from OpenStreetMap geometry - may differ slightly from on-the-ground signage. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0) · Elevation © DGM Austria (CC BY 3.0 AT). Redistribute with attribution.

08 - Related routes