Austria - a virtual tour: Styria

1 Conversation

Austria - a virtual tour:
Austria |
Vorarlberg |
Tyrol |
Salzburg |
Carinthia
Styria |
Upper Austria |
Lower Austria |
Vienna |
Burgenland


Steiermark


size: 16,400 km²

population: 1,213,000

capital: Graz


Styria reaches from the middle of Austria to the south, where it has a border to Slovenia. Part of Slovenia has in fact beloged to Styria before WWI. The state also adjoins the Austrian states Carinthia, Salzburg, Upper Austria, Lower Austria and Burgenland.


Styria is the Austrian state with most forests, they cover about 60% of its area. The Alps are in the western and northern parts of the state with peaks of about 2300 meters. The highest mountain is the Dachstein at the border to Upper Austria, with a peak of almost 3000 meters. The south and east are hilly and have many thermal springs which are used for baths and vineyards, where farmers sell their own products.


The most famous Styrian food is probably the green - almost black - oil made from roasted pumpin seeds, which is used for salad dressings, soups and many other dishes. Potato salad with pumpkin seed oil can for instance be eaten as a side dish to fried chicken. Another typical food is Klachlsuppe, a soup made from pork feet which is often eaten with Sterz, a simple dish made from flour, water and fat.


Styria's capital Graz is the second biggest city of Austria1. Its city center with the many historic buildings and small alleys is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Like an alien blob of ooze the modern arts museum flows between the historic buildings and their red tiled roofs. Every visitor to Graz should walk up the long staircase (or take the lift) up the rock cliff to the old clock tower, which is the landmark of Graz, to look at the city from above. Many historic buildings, churches and museums can be found in the large historic center. Part of the UNESCO heritage is also the 17th Baroque palace Eggenberg at the western rim of the city. The palace has many painted halls and a large park where a new archeological museum with important items from Styria was built. A unique museum in Graz is the Landeszeughaus, the original central armoury of Styria from the 17th Century. 32,000 weapons and suits of armour are piled up in racks on the 4 storeys of the narrow building.


The life and homes of farmers during the last 600 years is shown in the open-air museum Stübing (a bit north of Graz), which has a collection of historic buildings from all over Austria. All buildings show a typical regional style from their original location and are situated in a small valley surrounded by forests. Gardens, animals, fields and interiors give the impression of a village that is still lived in.


Many palaces and castles can be found and visited in Styria. One of them is the Riegersburg, east of Graz. Three kilometers of defensive walls secure the 850 year old castle on its high rock. North of the Riegersburg lies the palace Herberstein, also up on a rocky hill. Its foundations are from the 12th Century and styles from different Centuries have influenced today's look of the building and its historic gardens.


The church in Mariazell, in northern Styria, has attrackted many pilgrims since the 13th Century. Today's look of the large basilica originates in the Baroque style and absolutely dominates the surrounding village in the mountains. Eversince stalls sold votive offerings to the pilgrims and the gingerbread from Mariazell is known all over Austria.


Further to the west lies the Erzberg. For centuries people have mined for iron ore on this mountain, first in tunnles, later above ground giving it a more and more surreal shape with many terraces.


Styria's forests can best be seen in the Nationalpark Gesäuse, where natural forests and floodplains are still preserved. From the racing mountain stream to the highest peaks there is a difference in high of 1800 m, which gives space for many different habitats with various plants and a great variety of birds.


Only a short way west of the Gesäuse, encircled by mountains, lies the monastery Stift Admont. For almost 1000 years the monks have collected about 200,000 books in their huge library, which today is decorated in Baroque style. Additionally the monks collected historic and modern art and have assembled an important range of exhibits in their museum of natural history2.


Even further to the west, at the border to Salzburg and Upper Austria lies the historic spa towns Bad Aussee and Altaussee, which is part of the Salzkammergut (more about that later). The picturesque landscape with mountains and lakes this area it a holiday destination in the 19th Century. From Bad Aussee it is only a short trip to the Salzkammergut in Upper Austria.

1270,000 inhabitants2They for instance have one of the world's most important collections of flies.

Bookmark on your Personal Space


Entry

A87795995

Infinite Improbability Drive

Infinite Improbability Drive

Read a random Edited Entry


Written and Edited by

Disclaimer

h2g2 is created by h2g2's users, who are members of the public. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not those of the Not Panicking Ltd. Unlike Edited Entries, Entries have not been checked by an Editor. If you consider any Entry to be in breach of the site's House Rules, please register a complaint. For any other comments, please visit the Feedback page.

Write an Entry

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."

Write an entry
Read more