Edelschrott – Discover Reservoirs, Culture and Winter Sports

Edelschrott combines winter sports with reservoirs, historic buildings, museums and other excursion destinations. The Modriach-Winkel ski area is located at an altitude of 1,000 to 1,230 metres; four drag lifts provide access to a compact network of varied runs. In addition, the reservoirs, historic buildings, museums and excursion destinations offer alternatives for days when not all travellers want to do the same thing.

Winter days and different interests

This does not imply anything about snow reliability, current openings or suitability for particular ability levels. If you are planning a trip with children, people of different ability levels or companions who do not ski, you should therefore view winter sports as one of several possible focuses of your stay.

At Packer Reservoir, a body of water covering around 60 hectares is available for bathing, swimming, sailing, surfing and rowing. There are paths around the reservoir for walking, hiking and cycling; leisure activities also include fishing and camping. Packer Reservoir additionally has well-maintained sunbathing lawns along the shore. At Hirzmann Reservoir, there is a public, fee-free bathing jetty and a well-maintained natural meadow. Boats and kayaks can also be rented there.

Water, paths and distinctive buildings

For a walk with a clear architectural destination, the hiking route near Hirzmann Reservoir is a good option. There, a footbridge almost 60 metres high crosses the dam wall of the Hirzmann Dam. The listed Ströhberne Bridge, built in 1816, is also located at Hirzmann Reservoir. These two sites combine the landscape with technical and historical structures, without requiring an additional thematic focus.

Guided tours are offered in the power plant area and inside the dam wall at Packer Reservoir. The House of Nature at Packer Reservoir presents the natural history of the region. Those interested in the surrounding area will find three scientific exhibits on the geology, ornithology and flora of the local region at the Talschaft Museum. The museum has 150 m² of exhibition space in the information centre and a 1,200 m² outdoor area.

Churches, observatory and other excursion destinations

The parish church of St Lawrence in Edelschrott was first mentioned in a document in 1245. It preserves a Romanesque chancel-square tower; the nave dates from 1780 to 1790. The filial church of St Hemma on Kreuzberg was first mentioned in a document in 1498. In its present form, it is a single-nave late Gothic building; its construction is believed to date to around 1540.

In St Hemma, a district of the market town of Edelschrott, stands the St Hemma Observatory, described as the highest-altitude observatory in Central Europe. Various binoculars, telescopes and optical instruments are available there for observation. The Hemma Pilgrimage Trail passes through Edelschrott. For a more active addition, the Steirarodl Park features a documented Fly-Line, a combination of a zip line and roller coaster on which riders descend the hillside along a winding route seated on a disc.

For further comparisons with other towns, you can also consider Köflach, Hirschegg-Rein, Maria Lankowitz and Hirschegg-Piber-Sonnseite.

For the broader travel overview: Voitsberg.