Energy Adventure Park Zangtal

The Energy Experience Park Zangtal near Voitsberg connects the history of mining with nature, art, and the theme of energy. Around 1780, the extraction of lignite, the “brown gold,” began in West Styria, primarily used for alum production at first. For decades, GKB shaped the region: The company, founded in 1856 from seven smaller enterprises – the “Graz-Köflacher Railway and Mining Company” – mined and marketed West Styrian lignite and operated its own railway for a long time, which is still remembered in the name.

Where lignite was mined for centuries and the landscape was sustainably shaped, walking paths now lead through an area that tells much about the past of the Lipizzaner homeland and its transformation. Old mining machines remind visitors of the former use of the site.

A special part of the park is the art road. It forms a sculpture park amidst the mining-influenced landscape. The artworks address themes such as energy and mining, creating a connection between the past and the future. Works by international as well as regional artists set different accents and invite visitors to view the landscape and history from new perspectives.

Nature has also regained space in Zangtal. Plants, energy plants, and a permaculture garden illustrate how the former mining area has developed further. At the same time, the park deals with renewable energies, thus linking it to the present.

The Energy Experience Park Zangtal is a diverse excursion destination in the Lipizzaner homeland. A walk connects mining history, art, and nature, making the transformation of this special landscape vividly experienceable.