Heißberg

The Heißberg is a 440-metre hill in the rolling countryside of the eastern Styria region, south of the Raab valley. It stands as the highest point in the town of Fehring and forms part of a ridge that runs from south-south-west to north-north-east between Kapfenstein and Fehring. The hill separates the Haselbach valley on its western side from the upper Dölling trench on the eastern side. Its nearest neighbour is the lower Kuruzzenkogel, another volcanic cone visible nearby. The hill’s steep basalt-tuff slopes rise sharply above the softer pliozene gravels and clays around it. The surrounding ridges lie about fifty metres lower, while nearby flat surfaces such as Stefansberg sit at 370 to 380 metres. The summit itself is covered in woodland and cannot be reached by marked paths, but an excellent viewpoint stands about two hundred metres south along the road. Two long-distance trails, the Ostösterreichischer Grenzlandweg and the regional Handspur-Wanderweg, pass through the vineyard-lined Kellergasse on the eastern slope. The name Heißberg may come from the old term ‘Hausberg’, as suggested by historian Otto Lamprecht. The hill gives its name to a scattered settlement between Heißberg and Kuruzzenkogel. Each year on the last Sunday in May the Kellergasse hosts the Kellerstöckl hoamsuachn folk festival, organised by the Fehring tourism board with local wine and fruit growers. The festival features local food and music in the steep lane lined with small cellar buildings. Beyond the festival, the hill offers quiet walks through vineyards and orchards with wide views over the surrounding countryside.