Leoben, Austria

Leoben is an industrial city in Styria, in the Murtal on a double loop of the Mur and with around 25,000 inhabitants, the second largest city in Styria. The city is the economic center of Upper Styria and is home to the Austrian Montan University and a technical college. An important steelworks in the Donawitz district, the seat of the Gösser brewery in the Göß district.

 

Attractions

Hauptplatz Hauptplatz in the Wikimedia Commons media directory: town houses with Gothic or Renaissance core, baroque Hacklhaus, old town hall (1485, tower from 1568), plague column, angel fountain, miner's fountain
City parish church of St. Xavier. (1665)
Romanesque Church of St. James. Gothic after 1500, later rebuilt in Baroque style
Mushroom Tower. (1616) (landmark of the city)
City Theatre. Commons. (1790/91)
Göß Abbey
Maßenburg ruins

Museums and collections
MuseumsCenter and Kunsthalle Leoben. Tel .: +43 (0) 3842 4062-408, email: kunsthalle@leoben.at.  With changing special exhibitions. Groups of 10 people or more by appointment. Open: Tue-Sat 10 am–5pm.
Exhibition "Historical Defense Weapons" in the Schwammerlturm. Open: Mon-Sat 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Price: Free entry.
Donawitz Metallurgy Museum. Tel .: +43 (0) 50304 252261. Open: Tue 4-8pm and after registration. Price: Free entry.
Gösser Brewing Museum. Tel .: +43 (0) 3842 2090-5802. (Guided tours for individual visitors: April – October: Sat, Sun and public holidays 11.00 a.m. and 3.00 p.m.; adults € 8, schoolchildren: € 5. Group tours: all year round Mon – Sun, only after prior registration, adults € 7, schoolchildren: € 4 .50)

 

Getting there

By plane
The nearest airport is Graz Airport (IATA code: GRZ, approx. 70 km). If you want to fly yourself, you don't get much closer: the nearest airport is Kapfenberg (LOGK) (approx. 25 km) with a 600 m grass runway.

By train
Alongside Bruck an der Mur, Leoben is an important rail hub in Upper Styria.

All trains, including express trains on the Vienna – Klagenfurt line, stop in Leoben.
All trains on the Schoberpass route also stop in Leoben (Graz - Selzthal)

By bus
Flixbus actually drives to Leoben. The bus stop is at the station forecourt.

By street
From Vienna via the A 2 to the Seebenstein junction and on the S 6 to Leoben. From Salzburg or Linz or Passau via the A 1 or A 8 to Voralpenkreuz and on the A 9 to the St. Michael junction, from there on the S 6 to Leoben.

 

Around the city

The city has 7 inner-city bus routes as well as buses to the neighboring communities (bus timetable, as of May 2013).