Frohnleiten

Beauty queen on the river Mur. Frohnleiten town enjoys a reputation for its beautiful floral decorations that extends well beyond the provincial borders. Scarcely any other town combines historic and modern appeal like this pretty little town on the Mur. In the summer, the lovely terraces for guests in the picturesque main square turn the centre into a complete delight. Anyone seeking a trip into the past should partake in a historical walking tour of the most significant locations in the town.

Around 1280, the Counts of Pfannberg founded a fortified market town called “Freyleiten”, in order to protect the only bridge between Bruck and Graz. Some parts of the fortification walls and a gate are still existing. The spacious main square lavishly decorated with flowers offers room for people – cars are relegated to the underground car park below. Open-air restaurants, markets, theatre performances and sporting events all add to the lively atmosphere. The western end of the square is marked by the parish church of Mariä Himmelfahrt. It was erected as part of a monastery by Jakob Schmerlaib at the end of the 17th century. The church acquired its impressive Rococo interior following a fire in 1763 which also destroyed the churchtower. Indeed, the tower accentuating the silhouette of Frohnleiten actually belongs to the neighbouring small Church of St. Catherine long since deconsecrated.Discovering Frohnleiten and its surroundings by bike is most pleasurable. There are marked mountain bike trails through mountainous forests. If you take the more sedate Mur cycle route heading south, you will reach two interesting historical buildings: the impressive church of Adriach, dating back to the 11th century was once even visited by Empress Maria Theresia and the mighty Castle of Rabenstein,  which has stood guard over the Mur valley from a high wedge-shaped rock since the 14th century. The cycle route partly follows an ancient Roman road. A still intact small Roman bridge can be found in a meadow about two kilometres south of Rabenstein. The major companies at Frohnleiten place emphasis on sustainability. The cardboard manufacturer Mayr-Melnhof operates branches in 14 countries and is a world leader in the production of recycling cardboard. The company Komptech sells its equipment for mechanical and biological treatment of waste and biomass all over the world. 

By the way
Frohnleiten only received its town charter in 2002 but had already been awarded a gold medal in the towns and cities category of the Entente Florale competition already two years before.