# Rachau

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**Rachau** is a former municipality in the district of [Murtal](/source/Murtal_(district)) in [Styria](/source/Styria), [Austria](/source/Austria) with 626 inhabitants. Since the 2015 [Styria municipal structural reform](/source/Styria_municipal_structural_reform), it is part of the municipality [Sankt Margarethen bei Knittelfeld](/source/Sankt_Margarethen_bei_Knittelfeld).[1] It is divided into three districts: Mitterbach, Glein Rachau, and the village of Rachau itself. Neighbouring settlements include Apfelberg, St. Margarethen, St. Lorenzen, Kleinlobming, St. Stefan ob Leoben, Salla, Übelbach, Kainach bei Voitsberg und Gallmannsegg.

The Mayor of Rachau was Karl Hirtler of the [ÖVP](/source/%C3%96VP); Bernadette Hartleb (ÖVP) was vice mayor. There is a primary school and two volunteer firefighters in the village.

## Rachau hillclimb

From 1995 to 2004 Rachau hosted a [hillclimbing](/source/Hillclimbing) event. Riders of motorbikes and also quadbikes and even the occasional car or converted jetski/snowmobile would attempt to ride as far up the hillside as possible without falling off.[2] Whoever attained the greatest distance won the event. This was televised across Europe on [Eurosport](/source/Eurosport) and attracted a trackside audience of 10,000 to 30,000 people. It also had sponsorship from the drink [Red Bull](/source/Red_Bull).

## Witches' trail

Rachau has a trail known as the Witches' Trail (German: *Hexenpfad*). It starts at a church and it contains signs that children enjoy.[3]

## References

1. [Die neue Gemeindestruktur der Steiermark](http://www.gemeindestrukturreform.steiermark.at/cms/dokumente/11820435_97007261/c19ab0d1/Liste%20Gemeinden_GSR%20Gesamt.pdf)

1. ["A man as fast as a train, dogs at the baseball … and dancing Dunphy"](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/sep/18/classic-youtube-best-sports-clips). *The Guardian*

1. ["Hexenpfad Rachau - Themenweg Steiermark - bergfex"](https://www.bergfex.at/sommer/steiermark/touren/themenweg/3322324,hexenpfad-rachau/) (in German). *Bergfex*. Retrieved January 24, 2026.

## External links

- [Pictures of the 2003 and 2004 Rachau Hillclimb](http://www.hillclimbing.net/html/rachau.html) (in German)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rachau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachau) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachau?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.