Ballooning over the Heilthermen Resort Bad Waltersdorf | © STG | A-Z Ballonfahrten Kindermann-Schön Ballooning over the Heilthermen Resort Bad Waltersdorf | © STG | A-Z Ballonfahrten Kindermann-Schön
A region of experience and adventure in Southeast Styria

The Thermen- & Vulkanland

When two opposites meet, like fire and water, the effect is both invigorating and calming. This harmonious interplay between the elements, coupled with some delightful “extras”, guarantee that your time in the dynamic Thermen- & Vulkanland region between Bad Radkersburg and Bad Waltersdorf will be a pleasure from start to finish.

In combination with a mild climate, the beautiful undulating landscapes of the Pannonian Basin’s northwestern foothills produce one of the most fertile soils in Austria promising visitors an abundance of gourmet delights and scenic idylls. Its castles and palaces, vine-clad hills in the Vulkanland Steiermark DAC winegrowing area, its orchards, spas, and recreational activities make this prediction a promise. 

The tourist region of Thermen- & Vulkanland is located in southeastern Austria and spans around 1,300 square kilometres, encompassing the administrative district of Southeast Styria and the southern part of the Hartberg-Fürstenfeld district. The area is bordered to the east by the southern Burgenland and to the south by Slovenia. Around 120,000 people live in the Thermen- & Vulkanland.

Highlights in the Thermen- & Vulkanland

Popular highlights in the Thermenland include the six spas, Riegersburg Castle, the district towns of Bad Radkersburg, Feldbach and Fürstenfeld, top culinary businesses such as the Zotter Schokoladenmanufaktur (chocolate factory), Gölles Essig and Edelbrände (distillery and vinegar production), Vulcano Schinkenmanufaktur (ham factory), themed hiking and cycling trails, such as the “Weinweg der Sinne” (“Wine Trail of the Senses”), countless pleasure cycling tours, and much more...

© Thermen- & Vulkanland | Karim Weiß

Towns & cities

The best-known tourist spots in the Thermen- & Vulkanland are Bad Radkersburg (with Parktherme spa), Bad Gleichenberg (with Therme der Ruhe spa), Feldbach, Fürstenfeld, Bad Loipersdorf (with Therme Loipersdorf spa), Bad Blumau (with Rogner Bad Blumau spa) and Bad Waltersdorf (with Heiltherme spa and H20 Hotel-Therme spa). 

Visitors marvel at the small wine towns of St. Anna am Aigen, Klöch, Tieschen, Straden and St. Peter am Ottersbach, as well as many other towns and villages in this captivating tourism region.

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Oases of relaxation

Spas

The Thermen- & Vulkanland is the oldest and best-known spa region in Austria. With six spas appealing to different target clientele, the region nestled between Bad Radkersburg and Bad Waltersdorf offers plenty to choose from.  While they all share a few things in common – soothing, invigorating waters, medical and therapeutic support, massages, and much more – each one also has its own USP to attract visitors. It’s hard to believe how one thermal pool can suddenly be so different from the next. More specifically: There’s a distinctly sporty vibe at what is probably the most popular spa in Loipersdorf; Bad Waltersdorf, meanwhile, focuses on adults seeking peace and quiet. It offers selected medical services and sophisticated dining; there are no slides, no playgrounds, no seminars, and children are seldom seen there.

Just a couple of minutes away at the H20-Therme in Sebersdorf, however, it’s a completely different story: oodles of adventure for the kids, pizza and fries, and family fun. At the Rogner Bad Blumau, culture is in every pore. The spa boasts a very deliberate aesthetic, and the philosophy of the designer, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, is very much in evidence. The Therme Bad Gleichenberg places a strong emphasis on medical care, while the southernmost spa town, Bad Radkersburg, offers classic spa treatments and encourages walking, cycling and running machine sessions guided by trainers and your own willpower.

Everything in Motion

The unspoiled natural scenery and gently rolling hills make exercise a pleasure here. Attractive jogging paths weaving around the hotels and spas; imposing climbing walls on the rocky crags of Riegersburg Castle; over 3,000 km of signposted cycling tours to suit every level of fitness – over the gentle hills or through the UNESCO biosphere park along the River Mur – stunning golf courses; wild rushing rivers for canoeing; and hiking trails make Southeast Styria a paradise for energetic guests keen to get out and about.

The Mediterranean climate means that the outdoor activity season can run all the way from April to October. If you’d like to take to the skies, look no further than the Hot Air Balloon Centre in Bad Waltersdorf. Well-known themed cycling trails such as the R2 Murradweg (along the River Mur), the Weinland Steiermark (“Wine Country” Styria) and the R12 Thermenradweg (“Thermal Spa Cycle Trail”) run through the dynamic Thermen- & Vulkanland region.

Palaces, castles, blue blood

Austria has castles and palaces at every turn, many of which you will discover along the “Schlösserstraße” (“Castle Road”). But what is life like as a palace owner or lord of the castle? What are their duties away from an often glamorous life? And how do you pay for the upkeep of a Renaissance palace or a fortress?

Visit the famous families – often descended from the aristocracy – in their “not-so-humble abodes” and take a look behind the curtain of the gentry.

A culinary heartland

The Thermen- & Vulkanland region is not just a wonderland of castles and palaces; it is also a bastion of culinary delights. Authentic restaurants and inns, an amazing number of award-winning restaurants, traditional “Buschenschänke” and “Heurige” wine taverns, countless independent businesses selling their own wares and gourmet factories all pull together to offer the finest quality products – often organic – in the Thermen- & Vulkanland.

We grow it, we process it, we sell it – that’s how the gourmet suppliers in the Thermen- & Vulkanland operate.

Feel

like going on vacation?

Time to embark on a journey of discovery in the Thermen- & Vulkanland region of experience and adventure in Southeast Styria. Visitors can look forward to friendly hosts, cosy, traditional restaurants, a vast array of cycling and hiking tours, and of course many fascinating destinations.