Reckturm in the city park Hartberg in Eastern Styria | © TV Oststeiermark | Wolfgang Spekner Reckturm in the city park Hartberg in Eastern Styria | © TV Oststeiermark | Wolfgang Spekner
Eastern Styria. Land of nature and culture

Cultural treasures

Eastern Styria is equally rich in natural resources and cultural treasures. Step into a treasure trove and travel across the centuries and millennia. Eventful journeys through time harbour many surprises.

Eastern Styria is a land of nature and culture. It wholeheartedly confirms the adage that one cannot exist without the other. Only where nature and culture form a cohesive whole can one enjoy the good life. This was already recognised by the Romans. As Eastern Styria’s first winegrowers, they enjoyed life in the luxurious country houses. Their era is documented by the Villa Rustica excavation site on Eastern Styria’s Roman Wine Road.  

Explore the rich and varied sacral landscape with the help of a digital trip planner and audio guide as you go “organ hiking” from church to church. Experience the enjoyment of authentic art and culture. The mystic Joglland reveals itself along the Lochstein-loop trail. Eastern Styria’s megalith centre is situated around Strallegg and Miesenbach, extending to Wenigzell. A few hundred of the striking stones are found here at the edges of fields, next to ancient trees, near farms, shrines and wayside crosses.
 
Hundreds of secrets slumber underground and on the surface around Vorau. The many “private” tunnels known by the name of “Erdstall” are especially mysterious. They can be viewed in the course of guided tours offered by the Sub Terra Vorau association. There is a museum in the Waldturm of the Vorau Abbey. After uncovering Eastern Styria’s jungle along the way, a tour leads to the mystic Lost Place around the Waxenegg ruin, culminating in culinary delights at the Rauchstubenhaus. A “Häfennigl” (tasty cake from a pot) is prepared and enjoyed over the open fire in the hearth.
 
Holidays in Eastern Styria are refined by overnight stays in extraordinary accommodations, ranging from the Waggonhotel or the chambers of Schielleiten Castle and Aichberg Castle to the historic walls of Neuhaus Castle or the silence of the Vorau Abbey. Eastern Styria is multifaceted.

En route to sacral art

Churches & Chapels

Eastern Styria features numerous routes, from historic pilgrimage trails to spiritual hikes. They extend from the Vorau Abbey to the Pöllauberg pilgrimage church to “Styria’s St. Peter’s Cathedral” to the basilica on the Weizberg. Hike the Pope Francis pilgrimage trail to the Maria Trost basilica near Graz.

Find all churches & chapels here.

WORTH LISTENING TO WITH HEARONYMUS

ORGAN HIKING WITH DIGITAL AUDIO GUIDE

Churches and their organs and bells are presented and brought to life acoustically.

Hike from church to church in the Pöllauer Tal Nature Park and ApfelLand Stubenbergsee region. Once you arrive at the church, the cultural treasure of Eastern Styria, you will get to know the advantages of an individual guided tour with the sound of bells and organs using the Hearonymus audio guide.

Where history comes to life

Museum & finds

Searching for historic traces in Eastern Styria is an adventure. Arcane finds arouse curiosity. Fascinating places that tell stories of changing times. Where have we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?

 Find all museums here.

Art to Zeitgeist

From a to Z

From workshops centred on personal creativity to courses teaching ancient artisanal techniques, skilfully put into practice. A wealth of choices! Art and imagination know no bounds.

From regional permanent exhibitions to insightful perspectives at changing venues – always exciting. Radiation as a path through time can be explored in the Echophysics permanent exhibition in Pöllau Castle. Feed your curiosity.

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Peter Rosegger Exhibition_Table_Eastern Styria | © Gemeinde St. Kathrein am Hausenstein
  • open today
  • St. Kathrein am Hauenstein

Peter Rosegger Exhibition

Peter Rosegger was an Austrian writer and poet.
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Church Heilbrunn_exterior view_Eastern Styria | © Tourismusverband Oststeiermark
  • open today
  • Anger

Heilbrunn pilgrimage church

Heilbrunn is a place of contemplation, reflection and encounter. This is what the pilgrimage church, the Gnadenbrunnen...
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Rock art museum_interior_Eastern Styria | © Felsenbildmuseum - Steinmuseum
  • Strallegg

Rock Art Museum - Stone Museum Strallegg

The Strallegger picturestone, with interesting engravings.
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forumKLOSTER_Front_Eastern Styria | © Stadtgemeinde Gleisdorf_Tourismusverband Oststeiermark
  • open today
  • Gleisdorf

forumKLOSTER

The forumKLOSTER is THE seminar and event center in Gleisdorf.
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Museum_spheres_Eastern Styria | © Stadtgemeinde Gleisdorf_Tourismusverband Oststeiermark
  • Gleisdorf

MiR - Museum in the city hall

Enjoy a journey through art and culture over the course of a year in the MiR – Museum in the Rathaus (town hall).
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Pöllauberg_Stone Wayside Shrine_Eastern Styria | © Helmut Schweighofer
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  • Pöllau

Stone Wayside Shrines

Visit the pilgrimage church Pöllauberg, where you can find wayside shrines made of stone just below the church.
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Prayer chapel Arndorf_chapel_Eastern Styria
  • St. Ruprecht an der Raab

Prayer chapel Arndorf

The Arndorf prayer chapel is one of the seven squares on the path “7 Plätze 7 Schätze”, which connects the...
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hArtberg walk_Take it easy_Oststeiermark | © Tourismusverband Oststeiermark
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  • Hartberg

hARTberg walk - Take it easy

Experience unique spray art in the East Styrian town of Hartberg!
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Churchyard_Statue Raimund Ochabauer_Eastern Styria  | © Tourismusverband Oststeiermark
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  • Pöllau

Memorial to Father Raimund Ochabauer

As part of the opening ceremony the memorial to Father Raimund Ochabauer was handed over to the public in October 2012.
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  • St. Johann i. d. Haide

Loretto - Chapel

Loretto - Chapel in Mitterberg
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Church and Karner_Buildings_Eastern Styria | © Tourismusverband Oststeiermark
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  • Hartberg

Romanesque charnel house and Hartberg parish church

Two jewels from the East Styrian town of Hartberg
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Aegydius Chapel_Chapel outside_Eastern Styria | © Ägydiuskapelle
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  • Fischbach

Aegydius Chapel

The chapel is freely accessible via a steep path.
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Concert at Jazzkeller in Weiz | © TV Oststeiermark | Bernhard Bergmann

Cultural events

In Eastern Styria, nature and culture simply go together. Enjoy culture in nature at authentic sites, often under the open sky. Allow yourself to be enchanted.

Calendar of events