Sankt
Martin im Sulmtal.

Sankt Martin im Sulmtal lies in the Sulm valley of Western Styria, an area shaped almost entirely by vineyards rather than large towns. The local wine, Schilcher, is a crisp, tart rosé made from the Blauer Wildbacher grape, a variety grown on these steep, sunny slopes and rarely found elsewhere. Vineyards climb the hillsides in rows around the village, broken by patches of woodland and orchard that give the valley its layered, green-and-gold look through the growing season.

Many wine growers here run small Buschenschank taverns, seasonal guesthouses attached to the winery where the current vintage is poured alongside simple Styrian food such as cured ham, pumpkin seed oil, and dark bread. The village follows the rhythm of the vine: pruning and blossom in spring, ripening through summer, and harvest in autumn, when roadside stands sell fresh grapes and young must.

Paths cross the valley and link Sankt Martin im Sulmtal to neighbouring wine villages, tracing the slopes where the Schilcher grapes are grown. Life here moves with the wine calendar rather than around any single landmark, and the vineyards themselves remain the main thing to see.