Graßnitz: Earth Station and Schießling

Graßnitz lies east of Aflenz at the foot of Schießling. Austria’s only earth station is located in the village; at the same time, hiking descriptions lead through woodland and past viewpoints, as well as to Schießling and the Schießlingalm.

Earth Station and Landscape

Designed by Gustav Peichl, the Aflenz earth station building is almost invisibly integrated into the landscape. When considering the village, therefore, it is not only the technical attraction itself that matters, but also how discreetly it blends into its surroundings. The visitor room offers a free three-minute multimedia show. This short program item differs from the hikes, which take in woodland, viewpoints or a mountain destination. If you are interested in architecture, you can consider Gustav Peichl’s design together with its integration into the landscape.

Hiking Trails with Different Destinations

The Zoag ma wos trail leads through woodland, past beautiful viewpoints, and on to the Aflenz earth station in Graßnitz. Its description thus combines woodland, views and a technical destination along a single route. In comparison with the hike over Schießling, the earth station is the main destination here. This lets you classify the hike by its landscape and technical features.

A circular hike starts at the car park of the Grassnitz earth station near Aflenz and leads over the 1,667 m-high Schießling to the Schießlingalm. The summit and the alpine inn are the named destinations here. The two hiking descriptions therefore have different focuses: one mentions woodland, views and the earth station, while the other follows a route over Schießling to the alpine pasture. The elevation of 1,667 m refers to the summit and gives you a specific point of reference for assessing this mountain destination.

Schießlingalm and Local Culture

The Schießlingalm alpine inn is at 1,484 m and can be reached from Graßnitz via hiking trail no. 863. Conditions on this trail can vary, so take this into account when planning. The difference between the stated elevations of Schießling and the Schießlingalm is 183 m. This makes it easy to compare the two named elevation points.

The alpine inn serves Styrian specialties. Since the food on offer depends on the operator and may change, check in advance if stopping for a meal is important to your plans. A wayside shrine at Graßnitz 29 is also a protected monument. This adds another local point of interest alongside the architecture and hiking destinations.

Considering Graßnitz as a Place to Stay

When choosing accommodation, you can first decide what you would like to shape your stay: the earth station, architecturally integrated into the landscape; a trail with woodland and views; or a hike with Schießling and the Schießlingalm as destinations. For a visit to the alpine pasture, the access via hiking trail no. 863 and the variable trail conditions are also relevant. This way, you can tailor your search to the travel interests served by Graßnitz and its named attractions and hiking destinations.

Discover more destinations: Aflenz Land, Turnau, Sankt Jakob-Breitenau, Tragöß, Mariazell, Sankt Sebastian, Untertal, Gußwerk

View the overview of the wider travel area: Bruck-Mürzzuschlag District.