Bürgeralm (Panoramastraße) - Hochstein (at Mitteralm)

Access to starting point:
From the border crossing Šentilj we continue driving on the highway towards Gradec / Graz and forward towards Linz and Salzburg. We soon leave highway A9 and continue driving slightly right in the direction of Vienna, proceeding along the expressway S35. Near the settlement Bruck an der Mur, we reach highway S16 and follow it in the direction of Vienna. A little further beyond the tunnel, we leave the highway and take the exit for Kapfenberg, then follow the signs for the mentioned town. We soon reach the main road 116, and from the nearby intersection, we turn slightly right toward the settlements Thörl and Mariazzel. In the settlement Thörl we continue on the main road towards the settlement Mariazzel, on the main road we drive to the proximity of the settlement Aflenz Kurort, where we turn left towards the center of the settlement, and at the crossroad there are also signs for the mountain pasture Bürgeralm. Next follows driving through the settlement, from the upper part of the settlement, we follow the signs for Bürgeralm. The road then starts ascending through the ditch Bürgergraben; when we reach the parking lot at the lower station of the cableway for the Aflenzer Bürgeralm ski slope, the road turns left. Further, we drive on a toll road, ascending to an organized parking lot in front of the Bürgeralm mountain pasture.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue on the road towards the mountain pasture Bürgeralm, and at the first crossroad, we turn left, bypassing the cottage Almrauschhütte Bürgeralm on the left side (the upper station of the cableway on Bürgeralm is on the right).
We continue on the road which turns to the right a little ahead and ascends diagonally. During the ascent, a beautiful view opens up on the mountain pasture Bürgeralm, and the path splits a little higher up.
On the road which turns to the left, the path continues towards the cottage Schönleitenhaus, but we continue straight on a footpath that proceeds along a grassy slope. Next follows a gentle diagonal ascent, where we also cross the ski lift route, and then we enter a larch forest. The forest soon ends, and the path transitions to grassy slopes, where we cross a few short patches of dwarf pines. A little further, we approach the ridge, and from the left, the path from the peak Windgrube or the cottage Schönleitenhaus joins us.
We continue straight and move onto steep slopes, where, during winter conditions, there is a high risk of avalanches or slipping; in snow-free conditions, the path is not particularly demanding, though a bit more caution is needed in two short sections to avoid slipping. After a few minutes of crossing, the slope flattens, and the path splits.
The path towards the plateau Mitteralm and further to the summit Hochschwab continues straight, but we turn right downward in the direction of Hackentörl, Seewiesen, and Jauring. Next follows a descent along a scenic grassy ridge, and the marked path soon turns left onto a slope.
Here, we leave the marked path and continue straight along a well-trodden footpath that leads us to the ridge of the peak Hochstein. The descent soon ends, and after a minute or two of further walking, we reach a rocky peak with a cross.
The description and pictures refer to the condition in October 2024.

On the way: Bürgeralm (1550m)