Austria · AT

Turm im Gebirge

On a forested ridge above the Styrian town of Seckau, two wooden twin towers rise forty-one metres into the sky, their lattice frames catching the light long before you reach them. Locals call them the Turm im Gebirge — the Tower in the Mountains — and from the valley floor they look like something out of a mountain fairy tale. Climb the 202 steps and the reward is a panorama that sweeps across the entire Murtal valley, the peaks of the Seetaler Alpen, and, on a clear day, the unmistakable curves of the Red Bull Ring racing circuit far below. What makes this spot special is not just the view but the approach. The towers sit at the summit of a network of themed hiking trails — the Seckauer Alpensteig — where over a hundred information boards tell the story of forestry, alpine farming, hunting, and the centuries-old Benedictine abbey that anchors this corner of Styria. You can make the whole outing a half-day experience: walk up through spruce forest and baroque wayside shrines, reach the summit snack station for a plate of regional cheese and smoked meats, climb the tower for the big view, and descend a different loop to see more of the mountain.