Ternbachkogel

The Terenbachkogel is a broad, gently sloping ridge in the Gleinalpe range, rising to 1 734 m above sea level north-west of Graz. It has no single summit but stretches for several kilometres between the Roßbachkogel in the north-east and the Turneralm in the south-west. The ridge itself forms the boundary between the Voitsberg and Murtal districts, and the highest point is marked by a simple cross on a flattened summit area at 1 716 m.

The Oskar-Schauer-Haus, a mountain hut run by the Naturfreunde at 1 409 m, sits on a spur south-east of the ridge. From Graden a rough road climbs to the hut, which is the main base for walkers exploring the area. Above the hut stands a white Christ statue known locally as the ‘Weißer Herrgott’, where an annual open-air mass is held. The ridge carries long-distance paths including the E6, the Central Alpine Trail and the North–South Trail, linking the Stierkreuz saddle in the west with the Gleinalmsattel in the east.

Walkers can follow the E6 south-east from the Stierkreuz down to the Oskar-Schauer-Haus, or take a direct, steeper route from the hut up to the ridge and the summit cross. From the hut another path leads up to the ‘Weißer Herrgott’ statue on the Blümelhöhe. The long, even crest offers wide views across the Mur and Murtal valleys, making it a quiet but rewarding high point in the Steiermark.