Schöckl

Schöckl
	The Schöckl from the southeast
height	1445 m above sea level A.
location	Styria , Austria
Mountains	Grazer Bergland , foothills east of the Mur
Dominance	15.5 km → Rote Wand
Notch height	517 m ↓ Brandlhof
Coordinates	47 ° 12 '4 " N , 15 ° 28' 32" E Coordinates: 47 ° 12 '4 " N , 15 ° 28' 32" E
rock	Schöcklkalk
Age of the rock	Devon
Development	1913 with the opening of Schöcklstrasse
Normal way	Hike

The Schöckl , often referred to as Schöckel , is 1445 m above sea level. A . the southernmost significant peak in the Grazer Bergland . The mountain is the namesake for a place and a cadastral municipality of the municipality of Sankt Radegund near Graz .

location

The specialty of the Schöckl lies in its exposed location on the southern edge of the Alps and its relative height to the adjoining Graz Basin and Leibnitzer Feld. It consists mainly of mica schist and limestone .

The limestone stands on a crystalline subsoil, the Radegunder crystalline. Therefore, in between there are springs to the surface that provide the water supply for the surrounding areas. In the limestone caves and sinkholes can be found again and again .

Due to its location in the immediate vicinity, about 15 kilometers north of the Styrian capital Graz , it is considered to be Graz's local mountain . It is a popular destination for walkers, hikers, racing cyclists, mountain bikers, downhillers , hang-gliders and paragliders .

The Schöckl is used by the automobile manufacturer Magna Steyr as an off-road test track for off-road vehicles. Among other things, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class is tested here.

The village of Sankt Radegund near Graz is located at the southern foot of the Schöckl . From there the mountain plateau can be reached with the Schöckl cable car . On the approximately twelve hectare high plateau of the mountain there are two restaurants, the Stubenberghaus , the Schöckl transmitter with a television transmitter and various directional antennas, and a meteorological station. Two ski lifts are installed on the north slope (a third was shut down in 2002). A little further away you can also find a Jahn memorial - the mountain has been the venue for a sports mountain festival every year since 1927.

The Schöckl is the namesake of the surrounding region of the Schöcklland , which consists of nine municipalities.

Transmission tower

The transmission tower on the Schöckl was built between 1955 and 1957 on the Kugelberg. Originally it was 74 meters high. With the introduction of UHF television, it was increased to 100 meters.

The tower was originally completely free-standing. Today it is secured with guy ropes.

leisure offers

There is a climbing park near the valley station. Near the top station is a motor Parkour, the summer toboggan run Hexenexpress , a disc golf -Parcours, a launch pad for paragliding and hang gliding , and a 3.4-km-long barrier-free route. A 35 km long circular cycle path and an 8 km long downhill route to the valley station also begin there .

A variety of hiking trails lead up and over the Schöckl, including the Styrian Mariazellerweg .

MTB cycling race

In 2003 the Downhill European Championship took place at the Schöckl.

Since 2009 ( world championship ), mountain bike races for MTBs have been held every year, starting in Stattegg .

Historical

Isolated traces point to a street and a settlement of the Schöckl in Roman times. The first mention by name as mons sekkel comes from a document from the Seckau monastery from 1147. The first modern accommodation hut was built in 1780. The mountain received several prominent visits, for example from Johannes Kepler (1601 to determine the curvature of the earth), Archduke Johann , Peter Rosegger and Friedrich Schmiedl . For environmental reasons, access to the summit by car is only possible with a special permit. On August 16, 1909, the Schöckl was climbed for the first time in a Puch automobile under Karl Slevogt .

The tourist development began on September 14, 1890 with the opening of the Stubenberghaus as a refuge for the Austrian Alpine Club, and in 1913 with the opening of the Schöcklstrasse, which was then accessible to the top. In 1951 the first cable car was put into operation from St. Radegund; from 1952 to 1985 one could also reach the summit with a chairlift ("Nordlift") from Semriach north of the mountain . In 1995 the renewed cable car was opened from St. Radegund.

At the edge of the summit plateau remains of a launch base for gliders from the early 20th century can still be seen. The start was carried out by a few people who pre-tensioned the ends of a rubber rope and pulled it on after letting go of the wooden plane.

In 1931 the Styrian rocket pioneer Friedrich Schmiedl vom Schöckl launched his first mail rocket .

photos

Schöckl, in the foreground Graz, seen from the east. Around 1830, lith. Kuwasseg
Schöckl from the northeast
Transmission tower from below
Old north lift station
Stubenberghaus
View from the summit of Graz
Schöckl, seen from Graz
Starting point for para- and hang-gliders
Transmission tower on the Schöckl
Schöckl, from the north side