Schloss Gabelhofen

Only since 1994 is Schloss Gabelhofen a hotel. I guess it is for the romantics amongst us, but also Formula 1 fans since the Red Bull racing circuit is very nearby. And there is a nearby spa.

Strolling around the castle within its walls.

Schloss Gabelhofen dates back to 1443 but was known at the time as Hof Riegersdorf. In 1490 it passed from the reign of Liechtenstein to the Pfanngauer and back in 1494. Its current presence dates from 1536. In 1596 the inhabitants of Gabelkhof bought the castle and in 1597, Christof von Gabelkhoven received the castle fief from Baron Carl von Teuffenbach. In 1897, Prince Johann von Liechtenstein took it over.  

Kimfiguring out where I have to stand to make the photo.

Checking out the nearby Pöls river, a side river from the Mur that we already saw in Graz.

Near the local soccerclub, there's a wooden bridge, but bathing is stricly forbidden, probably because of of the possibility of sudden levelrise.

The Pöls river.

Bergbauerinnerungsstätte Zangtal in Voitsberg

Coming from Graz, we were looking out for a place for the night just west of the city. We found a place through the park4night-app at the parking of a Golfplatz near the Thalersee and the Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum. We didn't agree on visiting this museum the next day but went to the Bergbauerinnerungsstätte Zangtal, half an hour to the west, instead. Here we found really huge and rusty old mining machinery, especially interesting for our oldest son who was about to study mechanical engineering after the summer. It was impressive! 

After visiting we just took the 77 to the northwest towards home, but we did not realize it was quite a steep and long journey uphill. We even had to stop to have the van cool off for half an hour, only 1 kilometer from the summit. 

Here, at the Gaberlhaus on 1551 meters height, we had some fine apfelstrudel with cappuccinos to become a littlebit more relaxed and cool off the van again.

The scenery was beautiful and we moved on downhill to Schloss Gabelhofen.  

That day, we ended up in Judenburg where we went for a swim at the Erlebnisbad.

Below: View on the roof of Scloss Gabelhofen.