Sankt Johann in der Haide: Nature, Trails and Culture

Sankt Johann in der Haide combines a strikingly forested landscape with trails, cultural monuments and clearly described options for planning your days. The Lafnitz forms the municipality’s natural eastern boundary and, at the same time, the state border with Burgenland. 75% of the municipality is forested. Those looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home can choose between active hours in nature, peaceful viewpoints and historical discoveries here.

Experience nature and choose your trails mindfully

One specific option is the 11 km Lafnitzau loop trail. It starts at St. Johann in der Haide railway station, follows the Lungitzbach stream and passes agriculturally used areas. The loop is suitable for jogging and Nordic walking. It can be reached via the A2 South Motorway, Hartberg exit. This allows planning to be based on your preferred means of arrival: the starting point is at the railway station, while access via the motorway is also described for the loop trail.

For a stay without a fixed route programme, ABC Park offers another option. It is located next to the sports and leisure centre and is a public recreational facility. Children can explore the alphabet and nature there in a playful way. The St. Johann in der Haide forest and sunbathing area is close to the forest and has many shady spots. Another peaceful place is the wayside shrine and photo point between Schölbing and Habersdorf. It features an original Styrian bench made by Almholz and a copper/larch wood frame made by the Wilfinger carpentry workshop in Schölbing, through which visitors can enjoy views of the landscape. The site is described as a place of peace and relaxation for all guests.

Churches and historical traces

Sankt Johann in der Haide can also be explored from a range of cultural perspectives. The parish church is named Parish Church of St. John the Baptist and is protected as a historic monument by ordinance. A Roman stone is embedded in its wall. Another archaeological monument is the single burial from the Roman Imperial period, the Sankt Johann in der Haide barrow, which is likewise protected as a historic monument by ordinance.

The municipality also includes the Catholic branch church of the Offering of Mary in Schölbing, which is protected as a historic monument by ordinance. Mitterberg Loreto Chapel is located in a forest clearing between Altenberg, Mitterberg and Unterrohr. The “Star Hike” of the three parishes to the chapel is still held. This allows you to combine natural areas, sacred buildings and historical traces when planning your trip, without limiting your stay to just one type of experience.

Choose suitable accommodation as a base

When looking for accommodation, it is worth first deciding on your preferred holiday rhythm. Those who want to use the Lafnitzau loop trail can plan St. Johann in der Haide railway station as the starting point for the hike and take into account the described route via the South Motorway. The Thermenbahn railway line runs through the municipality and can be accessed via the “St. Johann in der Haide” stop. For a trip with children, ABC Park and the nature experiences can form a focus of their own; those more interested in history can include the parish church, the Roman stone, the monuments and Loreto Chapel in their daily itinerary. A holiday apartment in Sankt Johann in der Haide is therefore particularly suitable for a trip where you want to keep your choice of excursions open and combine nature, exercise and culture according to your own interests.

Discover more places

If you would also like to see other places in the same larger destination, you can find further points of interest here: Sankt Magdalena am Lemberg, Karnerviertel, Tiefenbach bei Kaindorf, Grafendorf bei Hartberg, Pöllauberg, Penzendorf, Geiseldorf and Großwilfersdorf.

To the overview of the larger destination: Hartberg-Fürstenfeld.