Kitzeck im Sausal – Wine Trails, Demmerkogel and Culture

Kitzeck im Sausal lies at an altitude of 564 m and is Austria’s highest wine-growing village. Hiking trails, the Sausaler Wine Road, the parish church and the wine museum offer a range of different attractions. If you are looking for a hotel in Kitzeck, you can plan your activities according to whether you want to explore trails through the countryside, learn about winegrowing, or discover religious and historical details.

Hiking trails with different destinations

The Kitzecker Wine Hiking Trail K8 leads through the Kroisgraben, past an old water mill, fish ponds and a lavender field, and back to the Kitzeck Wine Museum. Variant 8a links the K8 with the K2 and leads to Demmerkogel. The Kitzeck-Demmerkogel Loop K4 focuses on the ascent: after a steady climb, it passes through Hochbrudersegg to Demmerkogel, at an elevation of 671 m.

The Kitzeck–Einöd Trail K3 also has its own destination: it leads to Einöd and the Malli winery, described as Austria’s steepest winegrowing estate. On the way back, the trail follows the old Roman road. When choosing a route, the K8 offers several named waypoints and a return to the wine museum, while the K4 is characterized by its steady climb and its destination at Demmerkogel.

Sausaler Wine Road and Demmerkogel

The Sausaler Wine Road branches off in Fresing, passes through mixed forest to Kitzeck and continues to vineyards that are among the highest in Austria. From Kitzeck, it continues to Demmerkogel. The road can be explored by car, bicycle or on foot.

The world’s largest Klapotetz stands on Demmerkogel: it is 17 m tall and is located in the municipality of St. Andrä-Höch. The largest Klapotetz in the wider area around Kitzeck is freely accessible. The Schmetterlingswiese (Butterfly Meadow) lies west of Kitzeck on the southwestern slope of Demmerkogel. In the wider area, the Great Demmerkogel Adventure covers 3,856 m and eight adventure stations, leading to the Schmetterlingswiese nature reserve at the highest point of Demmerkogel.

Parish Church and Wine Museum

Kitzeck Parish Church stands on a picturesque hill along the Sausaler Wine Road and offers sweeping views of the surrounding countryside. It was built between 1640 and 1644 and is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows. A Pietà stands at the high altar. The church’s furnishings also include a mechanical slider-chest organ (I/8) with a detached console, built by Conrad Hopferwieser of Graz in 1896 as Opus 9. The organ is a listed monument and is now played only rarely.

The First Styrian Wine Museum in Kitzeck im Sausal opened in 1979 and is housed in the rooms of an old farmhouse. It displays household items from rural life and presents the development of cellar practices using information panels and relevant tools. The history of winegrowing and religious art thus feature side by side as distinct cultural themes.

Practical information for the K8

For the Kitzecker Wine Hiking Trail K8, parking is available opposite the Kitzeck municipal office or near the Raiffeisenbank. The nearest railway station for this trail is in Leibnitz. If you are looking for a hotel, you can include these points of reference in your plans alongside the hiking or excursion focus that suits you.

Discover more destinations: Großklein, Eckberg, Rettenberg, Steinriegel, Pößnitz, Ratsch An Der Weinstraße, Lebring, Sankt Georgen An Der Stiefing.

Go to the higher-level travel overview: Leibnitz.