01 - Overview
The Raab Valley Cycle Path (R11) follows the river Raab for some 96 kilometres downhill from its source in the eastern Styrian uplands near Passail to the Hungarian border at St. Martin an der Raab in Burgenland. From the cool headwaters the route rolls through the Raabklamm country to Weiz, into the solar town of Gleisdorf and on into the sunny Styrian Volcanic Land around Feldbach and Fehring. An almost continuously gently descending river route through spa and wine country - flat and family-friendly from Gleisdorf onward.
The Raab rises in the eastern Styrian uplands north of Passail and makes its way right across eastern Styria into Burgenland and on into Hungary, where as the Rába it joins the Danube basin. The Raab Valley Cycle Path accompanies it almost continuously downhill. The opening leg in the headwater country near Passail is the only slightly livelier stage: through the wooded upper Raab valley, where between Arzberg and Weiz the river has carved the wild Raabklamm - at over 30 kilometres the longest gorge in Styria. In Weiz the town museum and the pilgrimage church on the Weizberg are worth a stop. From Gleisdorf, the "solar town" with its solar tree on the main square, the valley opens out and the route turns flat: an easy roll through the Styrian Volcanic Land, past wine taverns and orchards, via Studenzen and Kirchberg to Feldbach with its striking Tabor, a fortified church complex that today houses a museum. To the north the volcanic cone of Riegersburg castle beckons - a rewarding side trip. Via Fehring and past the vineyard hill of Kapfenstein the Raab reaches Burgenland: at St. Martin an der Raab, in the cross-border Raab-Örség-Goričko Nature Park shared by Austria, Hungary and Slovenia, the Austrian section ends at the frontier - beyond, the Rába continues to Szentgotthárd and into the Hungarian lowlands. Mostly paved, with sections on quiet service and farm tracks, the Raab Valley route is one of the most relaxed river routes in eastern Styria along its flat lower course.
- Regions
- Styria · Burgenland
- Start
- Passail
- Finish
- St. Martin an der Raab (border)
- Surface
- Paved
- Network
- Regional
- Best season
- April - October
- Signposting
- fully signposted
- Families
- well suited
- Road-bike friendly
- Yes · Mostly pavedwell documented
97 % paved, longest unpaved stretch 1.4 km.
02 - Stages
4 stages · 96 km
01Passail - WeizPassail · Arzberg · Naas · Weiz25 km
Setting off in the headwater country: from the eastern Styrian uplands near Passail the route follows the young Raab downhill through the wooded upper valley. Near Arzberg and on the way to Weiz lies the Raabklamm, at over 30 km the longest gorge in Styria. This is the liveliest stage - mostly downhill with a few counter-climbs - dropping into the industrial district town of Weiz with its town museum and the pilgrimage church on the Weizberg.
- Ascent
- 325 m
- Descent
- 742 m
- Duration
- approx. 2 h
- Surface
- Paved, some service tracks
Surface (measured): paved
02Weiz - GleisdorfWeiz · Unterfladnitz · Gleisdorf17 km
A short, gently descending stage out of the Weiz basin into the wide Raab valley to Gleisdorf. The "solar town", with its solar tree on the main square and the Forum Kloster, is a good place for a break before the route turns flat.
- Ascent
- 36 m
- Descent
- 139 m
- Duration
- approx. 1 h
- Surface
- Paved
Surface (measured): paved
03Gleisdorf - FeldbachGleisdorf · Studenzen · Kirchberg an der Raab · Feldbach29 km
Flat and enjoyable through the Styrian Volcanic Land: the Raab winds through gentle hill country of wine taverns, orchards and maize fields via Studenzen and Kirchberg an der Raab to Feldbach. There the Tabor, a fortified church complex with a museum, is worth a visit. To the north, Riegersburg castle stands on a volcanic cone - a rewarding side trip off the route.
- Ascent
- 0 m
- Descent
- 79 m
- Duration
- approx. 2 h
- Surface
- Paved, some service tracks
Surface (measured): paved
04Feldbach - St. Martin an der Raab (border)Feldbach · Fehring · St. Martin an der Raab · Jennersdorf26 km
The flat final stage follows the Raab via Fehring - with the vineyard hill of Kapfenstein to the south - into Burgenland. At St. Martin an der Raab, in the cross-border Raab-Örség-Goričko Nature Park shared by Austria, Hungary and Slovenia, the route reaches the Hungarian frontier. Beyond, the Rába continues to Szentgotthárd; the Styrian Ostbahn railway offers an easy way back from Jennersdorf or Szentgotthárd.
- Ascent
- 0 m
- Descent
- 46 m
- Duration
- approx. 1.5-2 h
- Surface
- Paved, some service tracks
Surface (measured): paved 87 % · gravel 13 %
03 - Elevation
Elevation across the full distance - move the cursor to read altitude and kilometre.
Elevation profile over 96 km. Ascent 361 m, descent 1006 m. Lowest point 240 m, highest point 887 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.
04 - POIs & Services
- Raabklamm gorge (longest gorge in Styria)
- Town museum & Weizberg pilgrimage church
- Solar town with solar tree & Forum Kloster
- Tabor - fortified church & museum
- Riegersburg castle on its volcanic cone (side trip)
- Kapfenstein vineyard & castle (side trip)
- Raab-Örség-Goričko Nature Park (tri-border)
- AT/HU border - crossing to the Rába toward Szentgotthárd
Services along the route
- Bike serviceCycle workshops in Weiz, Gleisdorf, Feldbach and Fehring; good density across the greater Weiz-Gleisdorf area.
- E-bikeCharging and rental stations in Weiz, Gleisdorf and Feldbach, and in several Volcanic Land towns.
- Drinking waterFountains and inns in the market towns; well supplied along the flat lower course, sparser in the upper valley before Weiz.
- Food & drinkWine taverns, cider taverns and inns across the Styrian Volcanic Land - especially dense between Gleisdorf and Feldbach.
Service points along the route
- Drinking water26
- Repair station2
- Bike shop6
- Bike rental11
- Charging station41
Service points from OpenStreetMap. Coverage may be incomplete, some fountains are seasonal - verify before you rely on them.
05 - Impressions
The R11 Raab Valley Cycle Path in the Raab gorge between Passail and Naas, below the Gösser rock wall.Photo: Raabtalradweg R11 in der Raabklamm unterhalb des Gösser · Anton-kurt · Public domain Footbridge over the Raab river in the Raabklamm nature reserve, the valley the R11 follows.Photo: Steg über die Raab in der Raabklamm · Isiwal · CC BY-SA 4.0
06 - Public transit
- S-Bahn Steiermark S31 (Graz - Gleisdorf - Weiz)Stations in Gleisdorf and Weiz link the upper part of the route directly to Graz - ideal for reaching the start. Passail itself has no railway and is reached by bus from Weiz/Graz.
- Styrian Ostbahn railway (Graz - Feldbach - Fehring - Szentgotthárd)Feldbach, Fehring and, across the border, Jennersdorf/Szentgotthárd lie on the Ostbahn line - convenient for the return from the flat lower course. Bikes carried on local services.
The upper part of the route (Weiz, Gleisdorf) connects directly to Graz via the S31 suburban railway, and the lower course (Feldbach, Fehring, Jennersdorf) via the Styrian Ostbahn as far as Szentgotthárd in Hungary - so the Raab Valley route is easy to ride without a car and to combine in stages with the train. Only the headwater area near Passail needs the bus.
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.
Download stages individually (4)
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.