Lake Stubenberg

Level of difficulty 1 |  Gastronomy 3 |  Length 2.5 km  Time 30–45 minutes

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The man-made lake in the leisure park at the foot of Mt. Kulm is the only larger lake in Eastern Styria and is therefore a popular SUP destination in the region.

General information

• GenussCard
• Styria tourist information
• Lake Stubenberg tourist information
• Lake Stubenberg Wikipedia
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

The lake is very busy in summer, so there can also be a lot of traffic on the water. Due to the small expanse of water, paddlers need to paddle with particular foresight and avoid swimmers, sailing boats and windsurfers in good time.

Dangers and risks

The lake is small and at the same time a hotspot for many water sports enthusiasts. Sailing, surfing, SUPing, swimming and pedal boating on 40 hectares. An excursion boat also circulates between the moorings. You should therefore always be careful when paddling and keep your eyes and ears open to avoid collisions.

Along the promenade, be careful not to get in anyone's way with your SUP. There are bathers, cyclists and other recreational athletes here.

There are often fishermen on the south shore as there is no sunbathing area. Do not paddle too close to the shore when fishing rods are in the water!

Keep a safe distance from the artificial diving rock! It's particularly busy on nice days, as children and teenagers can't get enough of daring jumps.

Directions

The lake is easily accessible by car from all directions. Buses also run here, as bus lines 209, 337, 338 have stops around the lake. However, traveling by bus is only worthwhile in the regional area. Bus connections from Graz or Hartberg, for example, only reach the lake after a disproportionately long detour.

Parking

There are plenty of parking spaces along the east and north shore, namely the parking lots East, Seestraße, North and Strandbad. The daily fee in all parking lots is 4 euros (as of 2025) and you are only a few meters away from the sunbathing lawns.

Swimming

When it opened, Lake Stubenberg was the first artificial bathing lake in Styria and is now one of the warmest lakes in the whole of Austria. The water temperature reaches up to 28° C in summer, although the lake is fed by the cool Feistritz River. Before the water is fed into the lake, it is specially cleaned, which is why the water quality is very high. To prevent the lake from turning into a hot tub, it has had its own cooling system since 2019.

The water is easily accessible from all sides except for the south bank. The sunbathing lawns with most of the infrastructure (restaurants, sanitary facilities, leisure facilities) are located along the north and east banks. However, you pay admission from May to September (day ticket €8, afternoon ticket €6 - as of 2025).

If you like it cooler, you can also take a dip in the Feistritz River as it flows past. It can be reached via the western lakeside promenade (Dammstraße), where it flows very slowly past the lake.

In the cold season, the Loipersdorf Thermal Spa 25 km away is ideal for swimming and relaxing.

Worth seeing

The Herberstein Animal World specializes in species-appropriate husbandry and the preservation of endangered species. Visitors can experience native and exotic animals in near-natural enclosures. The zoo is also known for its historic Herberstein Castle and its family-friendly attractions.

Not far from the lake, Flaggl Ballooning offers unique balloon rides over Eastern Styria, where passengers can experience tranquillity, nature and unforgettable moments high up in the air. The atmospheric sunrise and sunset flights are a particular highlight.

The Riegersburg Castle is only about 15 km from the lake. It is an imposing castle on a volcanic rock with breathtaking views over Styria. The castle museum and falconry make a trip there particularly worthwhile.

Extra Tips

The lake circuit offers a leisurely 3 km route around the lake. The family-friendly route is full of rest areas, bathing facilities and inviting gastronomy. One disadvantage, however, is that you have to pay an entrance fee to get to the lake circuit during the warm season.

During an approx. one-hour boat tour you will learn interesting facts about the region. In July and August, after 4 pm the trip is free for day visitors with a lake admission ticket. Groups of 20 people or more can book excursions between May and October.

Tour

From every conceivable entry point once along the shore.

Length

2.5 km

Time

30–45 minutes

Start and landing

Anywhere along the shore.

SUP rental

Segelschule Sven Reiger
Freienberg 108, 8223 Stubenberg am See
Phone +43 (0)676 5361314

Overnight Stay

Boutique Hotel Erla
Buchberg 70, 8223 Stubenberg
Phone +43 (0)3176 8889

Pension Waldhof
Siegersdorf 70, 8223 Stubenberg
Phone +43 (0)3176 80210

Landgut Riegerbauer
Herberstein 12, 8222 Sankt Johann bei Herberstein
Phone +43 (0)3113 2301

JUFA Hotel Stubenbergsee
Buchberg 140, 8223 Stubenberg
Phone +43 (0)570 8344010

Gastronomy

Grandma’s Hipster Kiosk 99
Dammstrasse Strandbad, 8223 Stubenberg
Phone +43 (0)664 544 2102 

Haus am See
Buchberg 69, 8223 Stubenberg
Phone +43 (0)3176 8887

Beach Bar Stubenberg
Buchberg 108, 8223 Stubenberg
Phone +43 (0)676 9672150

Seehof Beachclub
Buchberg 77, 8223 Stubenberg
Phone +43 (0)664 3591939

Rarity between the hills 

The Stubenbergsee (Lake Stubenberg) is fairly hidden in a lowland below the tranquil village of Stubenberg in Eastern Styria. When it was built in the 1970s, it was the first artificial swimming lake in the province and has since blossomed into a true leisure paradise. In addition to the countless water sports that can be practiced and learned here, there is also a leisure park, a climbing park, an artificial diving rock and beach volleyball courts.

The gastronomic offer is actually completely oversized for the lake, as there are bars and restaurants everywhere on and around the lake. The only downside: in summer, this small leisure paradise can only be accessed for an entrance fee. Lakes are few and far between in the region, which is why it is a pity that Lake Stubenberg is not available to the public free of charge.

Nevertheless, I arrive early in the morning at the large and still empty parking lot East to get to know the lake before the crowds arrive. The parking lots, some of which are huge, suggest that it is pretty busy here at full capacity - both on land and on water.

I, on the other hand, step into the shallow, warm water on the empty northern shore and let my gaze wander over the landscape in front of me. The first paragliders are already flying down from Mt. Kulm from the right, while the first walkers take a stroll along the lake promenade.

I quickly pack my gear into the drybag and off we go! Just off to the right, the sailing boats of the Hartberg Sailing Crew are lined up in a row, waiting for their first outings. Shortly afterward, I take a sharp right around the corner and have to duck my head under the pedestrian bridge. However, the small canal is only passable for just under 70 m, after which you have to turn around again.

So I glide back out onto the lake and make my way over to the water playground with its water slide. The great thing about this lake is that you can really get into the water easily and safely from anywhere. After all, the banks are designed in such a way that even non-swimmers can go at least a few meters into the water before it gets deeper.

The western bank runs alongside the Feistritz River, which you can also paddle along at a leisurely pace, almost as far as Hungary. The shoreline is alternately lined with bars, boat moorings and the sailing school. The lakeside promenade is also very popular with campers, who park their camper vans on the roadside and find accommodation right by the lake.

A number of SUPs are already waiting on the lawn and, fittingly, I'm paddling past the Reiger surfing and sailing school, which incidentally runs the only SUP rental on the lake.

As it is one of the warmest bathing lakes in Austria, it is not surprising that quite a few bathers are already enjoying the calm water in the morning before the sailing and SUP traffic picks up. I paddle on to the southern shore, which is relatively wooded and offers hardly any opportunities for bathers. Here, on the other hand, you can expect to see fishermen, but I don't see any of them this morning.

Meanwhile, my nose is aiming for the Seehof Beach Club when I see three balloons high up in the sky. What a majestic way to get around, I think as I approach the eastern shore. And only then do I realize that I've fallen for a little optical illusion. The balloons are hanging on ropes and appear to be filled with helium. Probably a great eye-catcher installed by the beach club, which didn't fail to have an effect on me.

I discover another eye-catcher further north when I set my sights on the diving rock. Here, too, the first kids are already venturing to the edge of the rock and bravely jumping into the lake. The artificial rock may not be particularly high, but it certainly looks more inviting than a concrete block called a diving tower.

After less than an hour, I reach the northern shore again and thanks to the calm and smooth water, I haven't really had to exert myself. In the meantime, the lake has really come to life and there are already plenty of surfers, sailors and paddlers on the water. My SUP workload is done for the day, now it's time for a walk around the lake. So I quickly complete the three-kilometer circular path on foot and then enjoy the rest of the morning relaxing on the sunbathing lawn.