Sabathy-Hütte im Zirbenland - Zirbitzkogelhütte (mimo koče Rothaidenhütte)

Access to starting point:
Leave the Austrian southern motorway A2 (Klagenfurt am Wörthersee–Graz) at the exit St. Leonhard im Lavanttal, then follow the signs for Zeltweg and Reichenfels. When you reach Austrian Styria, follow the main road to the village of Obdach, where you turn left towards the centre of the village (if you miss the first exit, there is another entrance to the village immediately after the tunnel). Through Obdach follow the signs for the mountain hut Sabathy-Hütte im Zirbenland and the village of St. Wolfgang. When at approximately 1220 m above sea level you reach the right-hand bend where there is a chapel and a junction, continue on the left road following the signs for Sabathy-Hütte im Zirbenland. A few more kilometres of ascent on a slightly narrower asphalt road follow and you arrive at the paid car park in front of the mentioned hut. The parking fee in July 2026 was 3 eur.

Route description:
From the car park we walk to the Alpengasthof Sabathy hut in the Zirbenland, bypass it on the left side and then follow the signs for Zirbitzkogel. The path ahead initially leads us past the Herz-Jesukapelle, then ascends along the edge of the forest to a small junction below the Almrauschhütte.
We continue straight ahead (right Almrauschhütte, 1 minute) and continue walking on the mountain road, which ascends for a few more minutes through the forest. Higher up we leave the forest and reach a junction at the Linderhütte.
Behind the hut we leave the road and continue on a grassy path that descends transversely to the Leirerbach stream, which we cross via a small bridge. On the other side of the stream the path begins to ascend again and quickly leads us to another forest road. In the further course we cross the mentioned road several times, then the path ascends parallel above it for some time.
In this section the path runs through a stone pine forest (German Zirbe or cemprin). When the forest begins to thin out, we return to the mountain road and follow it to the right. When we reach the north-eastern ridge, the path from the village of Mönchegg joins from the left.
Here we go right in the direction of the Zirbitzkogel summit (straight ahead Rothaidenhütte) and quickly ascend to the 1903 m point, where the path that leads past the Rothaidenhütte joins from the left.
The path continues to ascend moderately along a wider, mostly grassy ridge, from which ever more beautiful views of the surrounding mountains open up. At first we can still see the Zirbitzkogel summit, then the view of it is gradually obscured by the slope we continue to ascend. At a few smaller junctions higher up we faithfully follow the markings. After a small break the view of the destination opens up again, a little further on the pastures we join the access track that leads towards the Zirbitzkogelhütte.
We continue on the mentioned track, which flattens out higher up. From the left the usual path with starting point at the Waldheimhütte first joins, a little further on also the path that leads past Lavantsee.
After this junction the track begins to ascend more steeply. At the last hairpin bend the paths that run along the southern ridge of the Zirbitzkogel also join from the left, but we continue right and ascend in a transverse climb to the Zirbitzkogelhütte.

Starting point - Almrauschhütte 0:10, Almrauschhütte - Linderhütte 0:15, Linderhütte - Zirbitzkogelhütte 2:30.

The description refers to the situation in July 2026, the photos are from October 2025 and July 2026.

Along the route: Almrauschhütte (pod Zirbitzkoglom) (1650m), Linderhütte (pod Zirbitzkoglom) (1730m)

We recommend: trips from the same starting point, similar trips, panorama, summit register