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Saturday, August 23, 2025 – We woke up with an unusual mix of excitement and melancholy, knowing this was the last leg of our tour. Breakfast at Hotel Schischek set the tone: hearty, fresh, and enough to carry us through the morning. With our bags packed and bikes ready, we rolled out of Unterpurkla filled with energy, eager to savor every remaining kilometer.
The route south was gentle and familiar in its rhythm. We passed through small Styrian villages, each with its red-tiled roofs, farmyards, and the comforting smell of freshly cut hay. The landscape began to flatten out as we approached the wine country and thermal region for which southern Styria is known. The Mur River, our faithful companion all week, guided us steadily toward our final destination.
After barely half an hour, the towers and spires of Bad Radkersburg came into view. Nestled close to the Slovenian border, this historic spa town has long been a crossroads of cultures. The excitement between us was unmistakable—Steven, Rudi, and I exchanged wide smiles as we finally rolled into the town square. For a symbolic finale, we pushed onward a few kilometers and crossed briefly into Slovenia, just to feel the thrill of passing into another country by bike.
Back in the heart of Bad Radkersburg, we found a popular café and sat down, letting the accomplishment sink in. We had done it: more than 360 kilometers from Muhr to the border. As we sipped our coffee, the sky opened and a heavy rain began to fall. We couldn’t help but laugh—it felt like nature’s way of applauding our timing, sparing us a wet ride on our last stretch.
The conversation turned reflective. Steven admitted that the up-and-down terrains had been his highlight. Though riding an e-bike for this tour, he usually trains on a standard bicycle and was proud of how strongly he had performed. He had also been our navigator, always leading and guiding us back to the Murradweg whenever we strayed. The valleys and mountains surrounding the Mur River had left a deep impression on him.
Rudi, ever positive, looked back at the tour as both challenging and rewarding. His calm outlook had often balanced the group’s energy, and he seemed already at peace with the journey’s end.
At 14:00, a small shuttle bus loaded with our bicycles carried us back to Muhr, the place where it had all begun six days earlier. The circle was complete. On the way home, we stopped in St. Michael im Lungau for dinner before reaching Hotel Gell in Tweng, our resting place for the night.
As we prepared to return to Vienna on Sunday, one feeling united us all: fulfillment. The Murradweg had tested our strength, rewarded us with beauty, and given us memories we would carry forward. Already, talk of “next year’s tour” had begun.
The road might have ended in Bad Radkersburg, but the journey, we knew, was only the beginning of many more to come.
- Hector Pascua
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