Austria & Slovenia · a personal travel series
Styria, worth savouring. From vineyards to treetops.
Three of our stays, two countries and plenty of reasons to slow down. PURESLeben, Hiša 1624 and Pogusch in one guide, with Hiša Denk, OPOK27, Lilli & Jojo and views that kept making us stop.
Come along ↓
Our compass
Choose a place. Give it time.
- Personally experienced
- 3 stays · 3 restaurants in this series
- The complete journey
- A seven-night proposal, or separate shorter stays
- Photo journal
- 75 of our own photographs across four stories
For us, Styria tastes of good wine and looks like hills rearranging themselves around every bend. Yet it does not end at the vineyards. Travel north and the scenery changes into mountain meadows, forest and accommodation with a round window among the trees.
This guide brings together our September 2021 experiences and an August 2024 return. We personally stayed at all three properties and loved them. This is not a diary of one continuous week: we have combined several journeys into a proposal for your next stay. Each house has its own story, giving the pictures and places room to breathe.
01 · The shared journey
Get your bearings. Then slow down.
South Styria around Oberhaag, Leutschach and the wine road forms the Austrian side of this story. Hiša 1624, Hiša Denk and OPOK27 are in Slovenia, in the hills north of Maribor. Vineyards flow across the border, but the countries still matter when choosing an address.
Pogusch is farther away, near Turnau in mountainous Upper Styria. Give it a separate part of your stay. We would not treat dinner there as a minor detour from Oberhaag, or commute back to the border each day. Transfers belong in the itinerary rather than disappearing from it.
02 · The shared journey
Three houses. Three different reasons to stay.
They share distinctive architecture, landscape outside the window and our genuine enjoyment of staying there. Choosing begins with their differences: a whole house for friends, a small hotel for two or unusual mountain accommodation? The comparison focuses on style and trade-offs rather than star counts.
| Stay | Best for | What makes it different | The compromise |
|---|---|---|---|
| PURESLeben Grabenschake → | A whole house for up to four; two couples or friends | Private pool, sauna and kitchen | A substantial house to enjoy, usually a three-night minimum |
| Hiša 1624 → | An intimate adults-only base for vineyard days | Four rooms and suites, indoor pool, Slovenian food nearby | Small scale; restaurants and tastings need planning |
| Bert at Pogusch → | A couple drawn to architecture and mountain walks | Sculptural woodland cabins and a different landscape | A separate mountain base; confirm your cabin and table |
PURESLeben Grabenschake.
An old farmhouse, contemporary architecture and a pool that is hard to leave. Our stay with friends in South Styria, with vineyards, good tables and room to spend time together.
Read the full photo story →
Hiša 1624.
Slovenian hills, an old winegrower's house and a pool looking out over the landscape. An intimate stay made for slow mornings, good dinners and a journey that takes the border in its stride.
Read the full photo story →
Steirereck am Pogusch.
A circular window, timber and a different side of Styria. Our stay in a Bert cabin at Pogusch, surrounded by mountain meadows, architecture and good reasons to linger.
Read the full photo story →03 · The shared journey
Hiša Denk. Lunch as the main event.
We visited Hiša Denk in September 2021 and came away with a small photographic chapter of its own. Timber and glass around the table, opening bites, bread, changing colours and a sweet finale. There is no need to pretend we remember every sauce; the pictures show how much attention we gave that lunch.
Chef Gregor Vračko leads the restaurant, which holds one star in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide. Current menus are chosen by length, while individual dishes change. This is a place for a day when eating is the main event. It is a table we personally visited, rather than a suggestion discovered only in a guidebook.
04 · The shared journey
Two more tables. An evening for each.
We remember Lilli & Jojo together with the vineyards just beyond the tables. OPOK27 combines a beautifully designed timber building with Slovenian cooking and wine. We visited both in 2024; their full photographic chapters sit in the individual stay stories.
Lilli & Jojo · the Austrian side
A small Wirtshaus above the vines in Sulztal. We would choose it for a long lunch or a dinner beginning with the view. The 2026 season runs until 30 November, with menus of at least three courses.
Fri–Sat 15:00–22:00, Sun–Mon 12:00–22:00. Book ahead; the full photo chapter is in the Grabenschake story.
Open our story ↗OPOK27 · the Slovenian side
A family-run place in Jedlovnik, with its own wines and seasonal cooking. Our dinner was part of the Hiša 1624 stay; today's five-course menu needs arranging when booking.
Thursday to Saturday and Sunday lunch. The Hiša 1624 story has the address, arrival detail and photographs.
Open our story ↗05 · The shared journey
An autumn plan that makes room for mist.
For the vineyards we would look for a day with usable paths and a view of the next hill. Pogusch adds mountain decisions: lower temperatures, shorter daylight and the possibility of early snow. Mist may be lovely from the room; it is not a reason to insist on a viewpoint or slippery gorge.
Choose the programme around your base: Altenbachklamm near Oberhaag in dry weather, Plački vrh or VinoTOUR on the Slovenian side, and Bründlweg at Pogusch. The individual stories carry maps, timings and shorter alternatives. Our cycling archive offers inspiration, not a measured route.
Rain in wine country
The private sauna and pool at Grabenschake, Hiša's indoor pool, or coffee and cake at Klapothek. For a longer city outing, consider Maribor and a prebooked tasting at the Oldest Grapevine house.
Klapothek is an editorial suggestion, not yet personally visited; closed Mondays. Always arrange suitable transport after tasting.
Official details and map ↗Rain in the mountains
The indoor exhibition at Oberkapfenberg castle makes a useful alternative. Check visiting hours; outdoor birds-of-prey displays should not be treated as a dependable wet-weather activity.
An editorial suggestion. Or keep a free day in the cabin and a reserved table: that is a complete day too.
Official details and map ↗06 · The shared journey
Seven nights. Or just one chapter.
To combine all three, we suggest seven nights: three at Grabenschake, two at Hiša 1624 and two at Pogusch. This is a new itinerary informed by our experiences, not a day-by-day reconstruction of our stays. Align restaurant dates and the availability of the specific houses first.
For a long weekend, choose one base: Grabenschake with friends, Hiša as a couple for vineyards and Slovenian tables, or Pogusch for architecture and a mountain day. Rushing two stays into one weekend would take away the very reason we come.
- 01
Arrive at Grabenschake
Settle into the house, use the pool and leave the evening free. First of three nights here.
- 02–03
Oberhaag and South Styria
A dry-day walk in Altenbachklamm; a separate vineyard day around Leutschach or a Lilli & Jojo booking. Leave time for the house.
- 04–05
Hiša 1624 and Slovenia
Transfer to Hiša for two nights. Reserve OPOK27 for one evening and build the other day around Hiša Denk or a walk, according to opening dates.
- 06–07
The mountain chapter at Pogusch
Make the transfer a proper part of the day. Settle into your Bert cabin, then give Bründlweg a full day. Two nights, with your preferred table booked separately.
- 08
Head home without another checklist
A quiet morning and departure. For Bürgeralm or Grüner See, add a night instead of squeezing another excursion into the transfer.
Before you go
A few useful details.
- Booking order
- Book the specific accommodation and important tables first, then choose walks around the weather. A room booking does not automatically reserve a restaurant.
- Wine and transport
- Tastings after cycling, with an arranged lift afterwards. Wine-country lanes are not all segregated cycle paths.
- Prices
- We do not quote undated rates. Compare Grabenschake as a whole house for up to four, and the other stays by the specific room or cabin.
Before booking
Three useful answers.
Are all three stays in Austria?
No. Grabenschake and Pogusch are in Austria; Hiša 1624 is in Slovenia. Pogusch is a separate mountain base in Upper Styria.
How many nights should we allow?
Our proposed combined journey takes seven nights: three at Grabenschake, two at Hiša 1624 and two at Pogusch. For a long weekend, choose one base.
Is the itinerary suitable for autumn?
Yes, with reservations and weather checks. Some restaurants and trails have dated closures; the individual stories list the restrictions checked in October 2026.
Our memories. Checked facts.
Personal stays and visits come from David and Robík's travel records and supplied photographs. Additional walks and addresses are clearly marked as editorial suggestions. Photographs are from September 2021 and August 2024. Practical sources checked on 16 October 2026; menus, opening and availability can change.
Updated:
Open the sources
The Dobrý směr verdict
From vineyards to treetops.
The pleasure of this journey is that you need not choose between design, landscape and good food. You only need the right pace. Each of these three houses gave us a different reason to return to Styria.