Hartberg landscape in late summer | © TV Oststeiermark | Wolfgang Spekner Hartberg landscape in late summer | © TV Oststeiermark | Wolfgang Spekner
Old town atmosphere in a unique setting

Town life

The Eastern Styria’s towns are full of variety. One thing they all share is being embedded in the natural landscape. From tree-covered mountain ridges to fertile river valleys, Austria’s garden is on the doorstep. Towns in nature are worth the trip.

Explore marvellous old towns with unique, inspirational settings as you enjoy a stroll. The buildings – churches, museums and occasional palace in the middle of town – have a story to tell. Get touched by the atmosphere, immerse yourself in green oases ranging from parks to herbal gardens, and give yourself all the time in the world.

Spring on the main square of Hartberg in Eastern Styria | © TV Oststeiermark | Bernhard Bergmann

Town of the senses

hartberg

Embedded in a NATURA 2000 area, the Hartberger Gmoos, and the landscape-protected, wooded Brühl, from where it goes up to the Ringwarte, Hartberg captivates as one of Austria's small historic towns with a lot of flair.

Hartberg is the second city in Austria, and the first city in Styria, to be accepted into the international "Città-Slow" association. Hartberg scores as a lovable and livable city among locals as well as guests. Strolling through the town, one is immersed in the Middle Ages; two of the defense towers and parts of the town wall are witnesses of that time.

Hartberg Castle is considered the nucleus of the town. In the 12th century the margraves of Steyr founded Hartberg as a palace. Large-scale clearings transformed the "East Styrian primeval forest" into fertile settlement land. As a regional supply and trade center at the crossroads of two long-distance roads, one led over the Wechsel into the Vienna Basin and the other, the "Strata Ungarica", to Pannonia and connection to the Adriatic region. Hartberg was first mentioned in documents as a town around 1347.

NEW from June 2023: World-class Street Art in Hartberg. Hartberg native NYCHOS, an international street art & graffiti great, visited his hometown together with 21 friends and renowned street artists from around the world. For details about the hARTberg walk and the overview map of the murals please click on the button below.

Eenergy city. Rich in art and culture.

weiz

Surrounded by natural treasures such as the Raabklamm, Austria’s longest gorge, and two flowstone caves, the Katerloch and Grasslhöhe, the old town core is nestled against the Weizberg.

A bridge to the modern era has been built in the old town core with the Kunsthaus Weiz. It meets all requirements and integrates harmoniously with the old town. The simultaneous revival of the old town hall with the Hannes Schwarz Saal and the link to the Kulturzentrum Weberhaus have created a unique cultural zone in the centre of Weiz.

A view of the main square in Weiz in Eastern Styria | © TV Oststeiermark | Foto Maxl

The solar city

gleisdorf

The solar city of Gleisdorf lies at the confluence of the Raab, Lassnitz and Rabnitzbach. It is a contemplative town but always open to new things. If one wants to ascribe a symbol that represents the town, that would be the solar tree. This trendsetting sculpture measures nearly 18 metres. Its leaves are made of solar panels that supply electricity to numerous households. It is a gift from mother earth and an unmistakable symbol pointing the way to the future. Away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy.

In keeping with its symbol, the town’s development pulses with energy. New life is breathed into structures that have fallen behind the times. The forumKLOSTER event centre is the highlight and lifeblood of the town. The MiR Museum in the town hall serves as a cosmopolitan hub. Expansive vistas open up from the lookout on the Kleeberg. Thanks to the location on Eastern Styria’s Roman Wine Road, the good life is cultivated in and around Gleisdorf
 

On the sunny side of the Eastern Alps

friedberg

The town of Friedberg is located on the southern edge of the Wechsel mountain range in the Styria – Lower Austria – Burgenland border triangle. 

Small but nice, it is a favourite of summer visitors offering a panoramic view over the rolling hills of Eastern Styria and the Southern Burgenland. True stories, legends and sagas surround the town’s founding. The parish church, “Stadttor beim Steg” town gate, Thonet Museum and green oases near the town, such as the Bärengraben, wait to be explored.

Erlebnisberg and the city of Friedberg from above | © Historischer Verein Wechselland | Johann Auerbäck