Gravelei Südsteiermark

Gravelei is a weekend built around community rather than competition, set in the hills of southern Styria, the wine country known as the Styrian Tuscany. The routes link vineyards, forests and river valleys with gravel climbs to viewpoints, and the refreshment stops lean into the region's food culture, from Kaiserschmarrn to a traditional Buschenschank.

There is no race. Riders follow the GPX track at their own pace as a semi-self-supported ride, carry a GPS tracker and time themselves if they want to. Tour Magazin reported that the organisers chose this format after the authorities asked for full road closures and marshals at every junction for a race, which a small team could not fund.

Behind it is a core team of four who have worked on the idea since summer 2023, with the aim of giving gravel riding more attention in Austria. The weekend runs from a first shared roll-out to a hangover breakfast on the last morning, and in 2026 it included a South Styrian evening and an after-show party at Gamlitz Castle.