Styria is one of the nine federal states of the Republic of Austria.
Its capital is Graz, which is by far the largest city in Styria in terms
of population, followed by Leoben, Kapfenberg, Bruck an der Mur and
Feldbach. Austria's second-largest federal state in terms of area and
fourth-largest in terms of population borders on the Austrian federal
states of Carinthia, Salzburg, Upper Austria, Lower Austria and
Burgenland, and in the south on the Republic of Slovenia. The residents
are referred to as Styrians.
Until the end of the First World War
there was the much larger Duchy of Styria as the crown land of the
Austrian Empire, since 1867 in Austria-Hungary. Since the collapse of
the Habsburg monarchy in October/November 1918 and the Treaty of
Saint-Germain in 1919, Lower Styria, around a quarter of the historical
Crown Land, has belonged to Slovenia.
Upper Styria is the alpine regions in the north of Styria with the
Ausseerland (the Styrian part of the Salzkammergut) and the industrial
and mining areas of the Mur-Mürz furrow. Important cities: Bruck an der
Mur, Leoben, Kapfenberg, Mürzzuschlag, Judenburg, Murau, Liezen,
Schladming.
Oststeiermark is the south-east of Styria and includes
mountain pasture regions with fruit growing; the region is also known as
the "garden of Austria". Important cities: Hartberg, Fürstenfeld, Weiz
West Styria are the non-alpine regions west of the Mur and in the
south-west of Styria. Important cities: Graz, Voitsberg, Koeflach,
Deutschlandsberg
Southern Styria is essentially in the district of
Leibnitz, bordering on Slovenia. This area is one of the most beautiful
and well-known wine-growing regions in Austria. Important cities:
Leibnitz, Feldbach, Radkersburg.
Lower Styria was part of the
historical crown land until 1918 and after the First World War it became
part of Yugoslavia and after 1991 Slovenia (tourism region Štajerska).
It roughly corresponds to today's Podravska region and small parts of
the Pomurska region. Important cities: Maribor, Ptuj, Ljutomer.
Bruck an der Mur
Gröbming
Grundlsee
Hartberg
Leoben
Liezen
Schladming
Stainz
In Styria, German or Austrian colloquial language is spoken. In the
extreme south there are still small remnants of the autochthonous
Slovene ethnic group.
The Styrian dialect in the northern half of
the country belongs to the Central Bavarian dialect group, while that in
Graz and in western and eastern Styria belongs to the Southern Bavarian
dialect group. Particularly striking is the unmistakable diphtong
pronunciation of the vowels e and o as e-i and o-u in almost all of
Styria; in other federal states, the Styrian dialect is also known as
Bellen ("Bäün"). As far as tourism is concerned, the vocabulary of
Styrian hardly differs from other language varieties in Austria.
By plane
In Graz there is the airport Graz-Thalerhof
By
train
The Südbahn connects Vienna and Graz. In addition, there is
the railway line from the east via the Wechsel and Oststeiermark,
which is only of regional importance. International trains are also
routed via the Ennstalbahn from Salzburg to Graz. Currently only one
railway line runs from Carinthia to the Upper Mur Valley (Judenburg,
Knittelfeld, Leoben area); the Koralmbahn, which will directly
connect Carinthia with southern Styria, is under construction.
By bus
Inner Austria: From the Carinthian state capital of
Klagenfurt there is an express bus connection operated by ÖBB to
Graz and from Vienna, Linz and Salzburg there is a long-distance bus
connection offered by Westbus (a division of the Westbahn company)
via St. Michael, also to Graz. Coming from Germany, there are
long-distance bus offers from the company Flixbus.
In the
street
From Vienna you can either take the southern autobahn (A2)
to southern Styria or the Semmering expressway (S6) to northern
Styria. From the west (state of Salzburg) there is no expressway;
you drive on the federal road 320 through the Ennstal to the
district capital Liezen. From Carinthia, which is adjacent to the
south-west, the southern autobahn leads to western Styria and to
Graz, as well as a federal road to the Upper Mur Valley. Coming from
the north (from Passau or Linz and Wels) you can take the
Pyhrnautobahn (A9) to Liezen and further south. Styria can be
reached from southern foreign countries on a main route on the
Slovenian A1 motorway coming from Maribor, which continues to
Leibnitz and Graz.
By bicycle
Long-distance cyclists can
reach the province of Styria coming from Salzburg on the
Ennstalradweg or on the Murradweg.
Herberstein Castle, Buchberg 1 . A legacy of 7 centuries of family
history holds a true treasure trove of works of art. All around a
historical rose garden full of beauty, magic and magic. In the Tierpark
Herberstein, visitors can observe animals from five continents in
spacious enclosures (almost like in the wild). The origins of the zoo
can be found as early as the 17th century, when fallow deer were kept in
Austria.
Kunsthaus Graz. For a long time, the clock tower was the
symbol of Graz, but the city has now received a new architectural
landmark: the Kunsthaus, also known as the "Friendly Alien". This
extraordinary building in a central location was planned by the two
London architects Peter Cook and Colin Fournier. 1066 acrylic glass
elements form the outer skin of the "Friendly Alien", the Kunsthaus in
Graz on the right bank of the Mur. In the evening, it sends moving light
signals or writing from its BIX façade via the Mur. It sucks daylight
from the north through the "nozzles" on its top. Needle is the name of
the glass viewing platform that spans the Kunsthaus and Eisernes Haus to
the east. Shop, administration and Camera Austria are located inside the
Iron House - an institution that is dedicated to photography with
exhibitions and the magazine of the same name. Camera Austria has been
organizing exhibitions since 1975, and since October 2003 the
international exhibition program of contemporary photography has been
continued at the Kunsthaus Graz.
Admont Benedictine Abbey, Kirchplatz
1, etc. Tel.: +43 (0)3613 231 20, e-mail: info@stiftadmont.at . The
Benedictine monastery is the oldest existing monastery in Styria. In
addition to the largest monastery library in the world, the monastery
also houses museums, medieval manuscripts and incunabula. Admont Abbey
is also famous for its library, which contains 150,000 volumes, 1,100
manuscripts and 900 early prints, making it the largest abbey library in
the world.
Mariazell. Mariazell has been one of the most important
places of pilgrimage in Europe since the 14th century. The famous
basilica is visited by around 1 million pilgrims from all over the world
every year.
Due to its location and the strong fortifications, the
Riegersburg, which was built on a volcanic cone and was first mentioned
in a document in 1138, is the most important border fortress in eastern
Styria. 3 kilometers of defensive walls with loopholes, seven gate
buildings and eleven bastions made the castle an impregnable bulwark. At
the end of the 16th century, the Riegersburg was expanded in the style
of the late Renaissance, with the arcades and state rooms characteristic
of that time. The treasures of the castle include the imposing Knights'
Hall built around 1600 with magnificently inlaid doors, portal
structures and coffered ceiling and the White Hall, completed in 1658
with an ornate stucco ceiling, a masterpiece of the early Baroque. The
Riegersburg has been privately owned by the Liechtenstein family since
1822.
Caves
Caves accessible to visitors are:
Lurgrotte
near Peggau.
Grasl Cave near Arzberg.
The approximately 450 m long
Odelstein cave (in Johnsbach / Gesäuse).
Stubenbergsee. Swimming, inline skating, walking or just relaxing;
Location: close to Stubenberg.
Herberstein Zoo, Buchberg 50,
Stubenberg am See. Tel: +43 (0)3176 80777. Animals from five continents.
Michlhof riding stables, Zeil 45, 8223 Stubenberg am See. Tel.: +43
(0)3176 8897. Riding for beginners and advanced riders, sauna,
children's playground.
Summer toboggan run, Weizerstrasse 47, 8191
Koglhof. Phone: +43 (0)664 28 34 180.
Here is a regionalization by
the. Construction of a product-focused identity
The local specialty of Styria is pumpkin seed oil. In recent decades,
a product-focused identity has been constructed in connection with
pumpkin seed oil and has prevailed among younger generations. The
designation "Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil" was geographically protected by
the EU; only pumpkin seed oil produced here may be sold under the name
"Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil g.g.A.". The oil must not be heated and only
used for cold dishes. The nutty taste is unsurpassed and enriches every
salad. It is also well suited as a souvenir to extend the taste of the
holiday.
Beetle bean salad (Phaseolus coccineus) is served with
onions and lots of pumpkin seed oil.
Backhendl (high German:
"baked chicken") is also often mentioned as a local specialty, although
it also claims Viennese cuisine for itself.
Styrian root meat is a
popular classic. It is boiled pork chops (neck of pork) with vegetables,
served with potatoes and grated horseradish (potatoes and horseradish)
Klachelsuppe (pork knuckle soup) is made from pork knuckle, carrots,
celery, parsley, bay leaves, juniper berries, cumin, grated horseradish,
peppercorns, marjoram, sour cream, flour, salt, pepper and a dash of
white wine. The pork knuckle is cooked with the vegetables, later the
bones are removed and the meat is cut into small pieces. The flour is
mixed with the cream and stirred into the soup with spices and white
wine. The soup is served hot and goes best with Heidensterz.
An
overview of "good Styrian restaurants" that have to meet certain quality
criteria (e.g., of course, in terms of cleanliness and service, but
local food and wine must also be offered, etc.) can be found under Good
Styrian restaurants, where to look Location or district can search for a
restaurant.
Styria is also known throughout Austria for the
extensive cultivation of apples - almost all apples that are sold in
Austria come from eastern and southern Styria; the advertising slogan
"Fresh, juicy, Styrian" is well known in Austria.
The Pfingststrudel is a traditional yeast pastry, especially in
western Styria. It is usually baked at Whitsun and is best known for its
sweet and spicy taste. Spicy tasting lovage is added to the sweet yeast
dough. In the actual sense, contrary to what the name suggests, it is
not a whirlpool.
Another well-known Styrian specialty is the
Zotter chocolate factory, which is produced in Riegersburg in eastern
Styria and is available in a large selection in many shops and
supermarkets. What makes Zotter unique is that they make everything
in-house from the first step to the last. The daring chocolate flavors,
creative design and packaging have made the company a leader in organic
chocolate. These chocolates are also notorious for daring flavor
variations, such as banana curry, lingonberry porcini or rose basil (see
www.zotter.at)
An extensive collection of Styrian cuisine recipes can
be found in the Koch-Wiki under Category: Styrian cuisine.
The Schilcher, a rosé wine made from the Blue Wildbacher grape, is only produced here. The cultivation of the Uhudler wine was forbidden in Austria for a long time because it is an attached vine. However, despite the ban, the Uhudler was cultivated in eastern Styria and in the neighboring southern Burgenland, the sour wine is considered a delicacy. Cultivation has been allowed again for some years due to an EU rule as a local specialty in some neighboring communities in Burgenland, but not in Styria. However, it is also available for private sale here.
Most Styrian beer is brewed as a pale lager or pils beer type. One of the most popular types of beer in the region is Maerzen. The three most ubiquitous beers in Styria include Gösser from Leoben, Puntigamer from Graz and Murauer from Murau.
In Styria, there are basically the same public holidays as in all of
Austria.
Appointment Name Meaning
01 January New Year's Day
January 6 Epiphany
variable Easter Sunday
variable Easter Monday
01 May national holiday
variable Ascension Day
variable Pentecost
Sunday
variable Whit Monday
variable Corpus Christi
15 August
Assumption
October 26 national holiday
01 November All Saints' Day
08 December Immaculate Conception
December 25 Christmas Day
December 26 St. Stephen's Day
Shops and government offices are
usually closed on these public holidays. The only exception is December
8, when shops are often open from around 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are
also exceptions in individual tourist areas.
There are also a few
days when there is no school, for example, but which are not generally
free of work and on which all shops are open, for example March 19
(national patron Joseph) and November 2 (All Souls' Day).
Like all of Austria, Styria is a very safe country. However, you should be careful of pickpockets in particularly busy places (like everywhere else in the world).
In summer you should be careful of ticks, a TBE vaccination is recommended (especially for hiking holidays and the like).
A certain basic politeness can only be recommended for a visit to Styria (just like everywhere else). However, there are no country-specific peculiarities to be observed.
Musicians from Styria have had a strong influence on Austrian popular music (Austropop) since the 1970s. Prominent representatives of this genre of music, who also like to sing in the Styrian dialect, are, for example, STS or Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung. The songs "Fürstenfeld" by STS or "Steiermark" by Gerd Steinbäcker should be mentioned as the country's unofficial anthems.
The federal state of Styria has an area of 16,398.74 km², making it
the second largest federal state in Austria. It has a 145 km long
external border with Slovenia, which makes it - apart from the
exceptional case of Vienna - the federal state with the shortest border
length to foreign countries. The internal border to the neighboring
federal states is 870 km long.
Styria is divided into several
regions. In terms of area, Upper Styria is the largest, stretching from
the northern state borders to the Styrian mountain range south of the
Mur-Mürz furrow. West Styria lies to the south and west of the Mur. East
Styria lies east of the Mur and south of the Wechsel and the Fischbach
Alps. The provincial capital Graz is located between East and West
Styria. Recently, the area of the provincial capital Graz and the
Graz-Surroundings district has been referred to as Central Styria.
Geographically, this area cannot be assigned to either East or West
Styria. This classification of Styria, according to which large parts of
Upper Styria are further west than West Styria, sometimes causes
confusion for those who are not familiar with the area. It dates back to
before the First World War, when East and West Styria together formed
"Mittelsteiermark", while Lower Styria was the mixed-language
German-Slovene area with the capital Marburg an der Drau (Slovene
Maribor). This came after the end of the First World War to the Kingdom
of Yugoslavia and is now part of Slovenia. The southern part of the
country from about the Deutschlandsberg - Leibnitz - Bad Radkersburg
line is called southern Styria and should not be confused with Lower
Styria. Colloquially, however (at least in Upper Styria) today Southern
Styria is often equated with Lower Styria.
Styria is also
popularly known as the "Green Mark" and - mainly in tourism - the "Green
Heart of Austria", since around 61 percent of its surface area is
forested and another quarter is taken up by meadows, pastures, orchards
and vineyards.
The Ennstal in the north of the country with its
rugged rocks, from the Dachstein to the Gesäuse National Park, and the
mountain plateaus between Hochschwab and Rax also made Styria known as
an alpine federal state. In this area is the Hochwildstelle (also Hohe
Wildstelle) at 2747 m above sea level. A. the highest mountain that lies
entirely on Styrian territory. The south of the country is mostly hilly
(wine-growing region), while the Grazer and Leibnitzer Feld along the
Mur are flat.
The main river in Styria is the Mur, which has its
source in Salzburg's Lungau region, shortly thereafter crossing the
state border near Predlitz in western Upper Styria and flowing mainly in
an easterly direction to Bruck an der Mur. There the river makes a bend
and runs south to the Slovenian border at Spielfeld. From there, the Mur
flows east again to Bad Radkersburg, forming the border with the
neighboring country to the south. The length of the Mur in Styria is
290.9 km.
The largest lake in Styria is the Grundlsee with 4.3
km².
In 2021 the border between Burgenland and Styria was changed
in the Burgauberg-Neudauberg and Neudau area. This border shift was
triggered by flood protection and the associated regulation of the
Lafnitz. Styria became 6000 square meters smaller in favor of
Burgenland.
The area was originally populated by Celtic people. In the 6th
century, Slavs settled from the east. Around the middle of the 8th
century they asked the Bavarian duke Odilo for support in the fight
against the Avars. The Bavarians were victorious and from then on lived
side by side with the Slavs on the Styrian territory. The exact
distribution of the population groups at that time is difficult to
trace. Documents with the names of all residents of Scheifling and Lind
date from around 1030. Most of the names are Slavic. The German settlers
are likely to have represented a minority in the High Middle Ages.
Because the high posts were occupied by German-speaking settlers, German
became more and more popular. The Slavic past can still be read in many
place names.
In 1180, Styria was elevated to a duchy under the
Traungauers and the feudal ties to the Duchy of Bavaria and the Duchy of
Carinthia were dissolved.
On the basis of a contract of
inheritance concluded orally in 1186 (documented in the Georgenberg
Handfest), the dukes of Austria from the Babenberg dynasty became dukes
of Styria in 1192 (until 1246).
After the Babenbergs died out,
Styria first passed to Hungary, and in 1261 to Bohemia. In the Peace of
Ofen in 1254, the Traungau, which was connected to Styria, was
separated. He became an essential part of the emerging "Principality
above the Enns" (Upper Austria). At the same time, the county of Pitten,
which belonged to Styria, was spun off and added to the Duchy of
Austria, which at the time roughly corresponded to what is now Lower
Austria.
In 1282 the Duchy of Styria, together with the Duchy of
Austria, passed to the House of Habsburg. In the course of the Habsburg
inheritance divisions, Styria became the central part of Inner Austria
(with the Graz residence).
In 1918, the southern part of the
duchy, Lower Styria, was separated by a decision of the local deputies,
and in 1919 according to the provisions of the Treaty of Saint-Germain,
and joined to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, which later became the Republic
of Yugoslavia Dissolution, a significant part of the Republic of
Slovenia.
In 1938, after Austria's "annexation" to the German
Reich, the Ausseerland in the extreme north-west of the federal state
was spun off to Upper Austria ("Oberdonau") and in return southern
Burgenland was added to Styria. After the end of World War II, these
territorial changes were reversed; so the Ausseerland was reconnected to
Styria on July 1, 1948. In May 1945, Styria was occupied by Soviet
troops, but was under British administration from September 1945 to the
summer of 1955.
The name Styria derives from the river Steyr (today in Upper
Austria), which is based on the Celtic source word Stiria. It means 'the
backwater, the standing one' due to the backwater when the Enns water
level is high. The name passed to places etc., first documented on the
Tabula Peutingeriana from the 4th century with a settlement called
Stiriate (near today's Liezen), which was probably the capital of the
Celtic tribe of the Stiriates. The name also passed to Steyr and the
Styraburg, today's Lamberg Castle, first mentioned there in 985, where
the Counts of Traungau had their seat at the time. The Margraves of
Steyr, who came from the Traungau family, made a decisive contribution
to the development of Styria. The common coat of arms, the silver,
red-armed and horned, flame-breathing, erect panther on green, points to
the common history of the city and the country. The part of the word
-mark indicates the property as a border area (see Mark), which is
explained by the Mark on the Mur.
The Duden and the Austrian
dictionary list Styrian and Styrian as synonyms. In local usage,
however, Styrian is mainly used as part of the name of authorities,
offices, companies and associations.
The population of Styria on January 1, 2022 was: 1,252,922
inhabitants
Gender distribution: 50.6% female, 49.4% male
Age
groups (2017): 18.2% under 20 years old, 20.1% over 65 years old
Life
expectancy at birth (2017): 79.2 years for males; 84.1 years for women
Number of families 2012: 346,200
Average number of children per
family with children in 2012: 1.60
Metropolitan areas
Graz
The largest conurbation in Styria is
the provincial capital Graz with 292,630 inhabitants. Around 320,000
people live in the agglomeration (main residence). The catchment area of
the city includes over 700,000 people and extends from southern Upper
Styria via the Grazer Feld to southern Burgenland and northern Slovenia.
In particular, the neighboring communities of Seiersberg-Pirka,
Feldkirchen near Graz, Gössendorf and Kalsdorf are growing.
Mur-Mürz furrow
The largest cities in the Mur-Mürz Furrow are Leoben,
Bruck an der Mur and Kapfenberg. Here is the center of heavy industry.
Together with their catchment area, they form the second conurbation in
Styria with around 150,000 inhabitants.
Aichfeld
The Aichfeld
as the western part of the Mur-Mürz-Furche is located in the upper
Murtal and forms the third Styrian conurbation with the communities of
Knittelfeld, Judenburg, Fohnsdorf, Zeltweg and Spielberg. Around 44,000
people live in the catchment area.
The Red Bull Ring is also
located here, as is the Hinterstoisser Air Base, Austria's largest
military airfield.
Languages
German dialects
Bavarian
dialects are spoken in Styria. They belong to the larger part to the
Central Bavarian and to a smaller part to the South Bavarian.
Slovenian
The 2001 census revealed 4,250 Austrian Styrians with
Slovene as their mother tongue. They have been recognized as an
autochthonous minority since 2004 according to the state treaty (which
largely regulates the minority rights of Slovenes and Croats in Austria)
and therefore have a seat and voting rights in the advisory board for
the ethnic groups.
There are also Slovenes who were born in
Slovenia, i.e. who immigrated to what is now Styria. According to the
Styrian provincial statistics, this applied to 6,911 people in 2011.
In the 2001 census, the following was collected from a total
population of 1,183,303 inhabitants:
961,630 (81.0%) Catholics,
the diocese of Graz-Seckau is responsible;
117,589 (9.9%) without
religious affiliation,
51,005 (4.3%) Protestant, who are looked after
by the Evangelical Superintendent AB Styria; the upper Ennstal is
considered a stronghold, and in particular the municipality of Ramsau
with 78.1%.
19,007 (1.6%) Islamic,
16,345 (1.4%) unspecified,
The proportion of Old Catholics (1,183) and Jews (161) who are cared for
by the IKG Graz was below one per thousand.
16,383 (1.4%) professed
all other religious communities.
Until 1938 there were several Jewish
communities in Styria with synagogues in Bad Aussee, Bad Gleichenberg,
Graz, Judenburg and Leoben.
Like Upper Austria, Styria is a swing state that usually has a signal character in nationwide elections. The ÖVP dominates in the rural areas of southern and eastern Styria, the SPÖ in the industrial regions of Upper Styria and in the railway junctions. But the FPÖ is also traditionally firmly anchored in Styria. The ÖVP dominated state politics, which provided all state governors up to the period from 2005 to 2015 and for a long time also exerted a very strong influence on the politics of the federal ÖVP and the election of their party leaders. Within the party, the Styrian provincial group was considered to be more liberally oriented with some "pioneers", but has gradually lost its strong position to Lower Austria over the past 20 years. From 2005 to 2015, the SPÖ provided Franz Voves as governor.
The area includes southern Styria and northern Slovenia. Around 1.61 million people live in the region. A strong economic area is to be created through bilateral cooperation. But there is also cooperation in the social and cultural area.
Since 1929, the Dachstein song, which begins with the words "Hoch vom Dachstein an...", has been the official national anthem of Styria. Although - contrary to political reality - the first stanza refers to the area of Lower Styria, which no longer belongs to the federal state, the text has not been changed to this day.
Styria is a land of entrepreneurs with a strong industrial and
commercial sector, lighthouse projects in tourism and agricultural
products that are known beyond the borders.
With around one
third, the manufacturing sector makes the largest contribution to
regional value creation, followed by business-related services, trade
and the banking sector. The most important employers are, in turn, the
manufacturing companies, public administration and trade. In recent
years, Styria has further expanded its position as the number one
innovation country in Austria. With a research and development rate of
4.7%, Styria is one of the most innovative of the 274 regions in Europe.
A total of around 1.75 billion euros are invested in research and
development in Styria each year, three quarters of these investments are
made by local companies.
In particular, the fast-growing
conurbation of Graz with its large number of innovative, export-oriented
companies and the Mur-Mürz furrow with its traditional industrial
companies make a valuable contribution to this. In addition, Styria is
home to five universities (Karl-Franzens University, Graz University of
Technology, Graz Medical University, Graz University of the Arts,
Montanuniversität Leoben), two universities of applied sciences (FH
Joanneum, FH Campus 02), two teacher training colleges and a large
number of non-university research institutions - a combination that has
a positive effect on the competitiveness of local companies.
These are all reasons why Styria was awarded the title “European
Entrepreneurial Region” in 2013. With this award, the EU honors regions
every year that implement a particularly future-oriented economic
policy.
The future economic strategy of the state will focus on
the areas of mobility, green technology (Eco-Tech) and medical and food
technology (Health-Tech).
The most important branches of industry in Styria are the machine and
metal goods industry, the vehicle industry, the electrical and
electronics industry as well as the paper and wood sector. Styrian
industry is strongly export-oriented. Three quarters of the products
manufactured in Styria are sold abroad - in some branches of the economy
it is up to 99 percent (e.g. microchips). The most important sales
markets are Germany, Italy, the United States and China. Almost 600
industrial companies secure more than half of Styrian jobs with their
network.
In addition, the industry is training 3,000 young people
to become skilled workers. One of the most important future questions
for Styrian companies is finding technically qualified employees in the
future. The Styrian industrial companies are to a large extent strongly
technology-oriented and so many companies can call themselves European
or world market leaders in their field.
The Styrian mobility cluster ACstyria is an association of more than
290 Styrian companies that are active in the automotive, rail and
aviation industries. The center of the mobility cluster is the
provincial capital Graz. The largest and leading operation is the Magna
Group. In the mobility cluster, a total of 55,000 people generated sales
of 15 billion euros in 2017.
In Styria, the "Green Tech Cluster
Styria" is one of the largest environmental technology networks in
Europe, which led the rankings in 2010 and 2012 as the world's best
"Cleantech Cluster". Between 2006 and 2015, the approximately 180
network companies in this "Green Tech Valley" grew their sales by an
average of 16.4% per year, and an average of 1,000 new employees were
added each year in the field of environmental technology. Of the total
turnover of 10.2 billion euros, 3.6 billion euros were achieved purely
with environmental technology. This corresponds to around 10% of
Styria's gross regional product and one of the highest concentrations of
environmental technology in the world. The network companies employed
39,300 people, half of them in the field of renewable energy and
environmental technology. The best-known companies include Andritz AG,
Roth, KWB and Joanneum Research. The "Green Tech Cluster" was awarded
the European Union's Regiostars Award 2012 for innovative growth and the
"Cluster Management Excellence Label" in gold.
In January 2022,
250 companies with 2,000 employees in research and 25,000 employees in
environmental technology were listed for the "Green Tech Cluster". Their
total turnover was estimated at five billion euros.
Upper Styria, especially the Styrian Salzkammergut and the
Schladming-Dachstein region, as well as the thermal and volcanic region
of Styria and East Styria are important tourist regions. The provincial
capital of Graz and its surroundings also have high overnight stay
rates.
In 2017, almost 12,821,161 overnight stays were counted
throughout Styria, which corresponds to an increase of 3.5% compared to
the previous year. Of the guests, 59.1% were nationals and 40.9%
foreigners. In terms of the countries of origin, Germany is far ahead of
the other countries of origin with 2,539,992 overnight stays, followed
by Hungary (481,820), the Czech Republic (343,697) and the Netherlands
(271,379).
For tourism reasons, the name Hochsteiermark was
created for the eastern part of Upper Styria, which is marketed as a
tourist region. With Southern Styria, the green heart of Austria, as
Styria is also known, is home to one of the most well-known tourist
regions in Austria. This region is particularly well-known for its wine
and the wine routes such as the South Styrian Wine Route.
The most important railway line in Styria is the Südbahn from Vienna
via the UNESCO World Heritage Semmeringbahn and the Bruck an der Mur
railway junction through the Styrian state capital of Graz to the
Austrian-Slovenian border near Spielfeld. On this route there are hourly
connections between Graz and Vienna with EuroCity trains and Railjets.
Another important railway line is the Rudolfsbahn from Sankt
Valentin in Lower Austria to Tarvisio in Italy. In Styria, the Selzthal
railway junction is on this route, where there is a connection to Linz
via the Pyhrnbahn and to Salzburg via the Ennstalbahn, the Leoben
junction, where there is a short connection to the southern railway near
Bruck an der Mur, and the towns of Knittelfeld, Zeltweg and Judenburg.
At Neumarkt in Styria, the railway line reaches the state border with
Carinthia. Parts of the Rudolfsbahn are used, among other things, on the
routes from Graz to Salzburg and from Vienna to Klagenfurt am
Wörthersee.
Western Styria is accessed by the Graz-Köflacher Bahn
with the two lines Köflacherbahn S7, Wieserbahn S61 and line S6 via
Kalsdorf and the Hengsberg tunnel to the Wieserbahn.
The
Koralmbahn, which is intended to create a direct connection between Graz
and the Carinthian state capital of Klagenfurt, is currently under
construction. The route, the heart of which will be the 33-kilometer
Koralm Tunnel, is expected to be completed by 2026 and will partly run
along the Wieserbahn.
International train connections that run
via Styria include the routes from Vienna to Ljubljana (via Graz), from
Vienna to Zagreb (via Graz), from Graz to Zurich, from Graz to Budapest,
from Graz to Frankfurt am Main and from Graz to Saarbrücken. Important
Austrian cities with direct connections from Graz include Innsbruck,
Salzburg and Vienna.
Railway lines of secondary importance, which
are regularly used by regional trains or S-Bahn trains for passenger
transport, are:
the Styrian Eastern Railway
the Landesbahn
Gleisdorf–Weiz,
the Radkersburg railway
the regional railway from
Feldbach to Bad Gleichenberg,
the Köflacherbahn and the Wieserbahn,
the local train Peggau-Übelbach,
the Mur Valley Railway and
the
thermal railway.
On some railway lines, such as the Mixnitz–Sankt
Erhard local railway and the Feistritztalbahn, only freight traffic is
scheduled. The Erzbergbahn and the Stainzerbahn only operate as museum
railways.
The S-Bahn Styria was opened in December 2007 with six
lines and is still in the expansion phase. This project has been in the
works since 1998. Commissioning took place on December 9, 2007 and
completion is scheduled for 2026. The S-Bahn offers better connections
every 15 minutes. A total of up to twelve (currently eleven,
Gleichenberger Bahn S32 planned after Ostbahn electrification) S-Bahn
lines will be in full operation in the Greater Graz and Upper Styrian
central area. The S-Bahn is a cooperation between the railway companies
ÖBB, StB and GKB.
Two motorways and three expressways currently run through Styria.
The southern Autobahn A 2 leads from Vienna via the Wechsel, Graz,
the Pack, Klagenfurt to the national border with Italy at Arnoldstein.
The Gleisdorf–Graz–Mooskirchen section was the first autobahn section in
Styria; it was initially built with six lanes (narrow emergency lane).
The Pyhrn Autobahn A 9 leads from the Voralpenkreuz junction in Upper
Austria through the Bosruck tunnel, which is subject to a toll, into the
Styrian Ennstal, via the Paltental and Liesingtal and the Gleinalm
tunnel, which is subject to a toll, via Graz (the city is largely
bypassed by the Plabutsch tunnel) to Spielfeld on the border with
Slovenia.
The Semmering Schnellstraße S 6 connects the Süd-Autobahn
at the Seebenstein junction in Lower Austria via the Semmering with the
St. Michael autobahn junction on the Pyhrn autobahn.
The Murtal
Schnellstraße S 36 runs from the St. Michael motorway junction to
Judenburg-West, but is to be extended to Scheifling, where it is to
merge with the Klagenfurt Schnellstraße S 37, which is also planned.
The Brucker Schnellstraße S 35 runs along the middle section of the Mur
and connects the Mur-Mürz-Furche conurbation with the capital Graz. It
begins at the Bruck junction and flows into the Pyhrn Autobahn A 9 at
the Deutschfeistritz junction; it was completed on May 29, 2010.
The Fürstenfeld expressway S 7, which is currently under construction,
will lead from Riegersdorf to the Austro-Hungarian border crossing at
Heiligenkreuz.
In 2017, the degree of motorization (cars per
1,000 inhabitants) was 602.
In the Styrian capital of Graz, cycling is very pronounced,
accounting for 16% of the choice of mode of transport – by Austrian
standards. In Styria as a whole, the share of cycling in traffic volume
is around 6% and is thus roughly in line with the Austrian average. In
the Strategy for Cycling Styria 2008-2012 of the State of Styria, the
goal for 2012 is to double the share of cycling to 12%. In particular,
cycling in everyday life should be promoted.
Cycle tourism is of
great importance in Styria. The Mur Cycle Path, which runs mostly in
Styria, from Predlitz on the Lungau border to the Styrian-Slovenian
border near Bad Radkersburg, is the most important tourist cycle path in
the country. There are a total of over 2000 kilometers of cross-regional
cycle paths in Styria.
About 10 km south of Graz city center is Graz Airport, which can be
reached by bus and train. In terms of passenger volume in scheduled
traffic, it is the third largest airport in Austria after Vienna and
Salzburg and also ranks third in terms of freight volume in Austria.
Austrian Airlines offers direct connections to Düsseldorf, Frankfurt,
Stuttgart and Vienna, KLM to Amsterdam, Lufthansa to Munich, Swiss to
Zurich and Turkish Airlines to Istanbul.
In demand traffic,
mainly holiday destinations on the Mediterranean are served.
The
Austrian Aviation Museum has also been located at the airport since
1981.
Preschool:
Nurseries: 155 (2,508 children)
Kindergartens: 704
(27,413 children)
Horte: 63 (2,584 children)
Mixed-age care
facilities: 14 (522 children)
compulsory schools:
Elementary
schools: 484 (43,645 students)
Lower secondary schools: 139 (19,068
students)
Special schools 24 (676 students)
Polytechnic schools:
42 (2,233 students)
New middle schools: 107 (10,805 students)
Further training:
General secondary schools: 48 (27,112 students)
Compulsory vocational schools: 20 (18,882 students)
Vocational
schools: 69 (5,576 students)
Higher vocational schools: 43 (17,441
students)
Teacher-training middle and high schools: 8 (2,507
students)
Healthcare Schools: 35 (3,693 students)
Universities
(winter semester 2017/18):
University of Graz: 30,130 students
Medical University of Graz: 3,732 students
Graz University of
Technology: 16,247 students
Montanuniversität Leoben: 3,811 students
University of Music and Performing Arts Graz: 1,880 students
Universities of Education: 1,999 students
Universities of Applied
Sciences:
Campus 02 University of Applied Sciences Styria: 1,167
students
FH Joanneum: 4,637 students (2019)
Styria was already a cultural center in the Middle Ages. Ulrich von
Liechtenstein (1200–1275) was one of the most important minnesingers;
the Styrian rhyming chronicle from around 1300 is considered the first
comprehensive historical work in German.
In the field of
literature, Peter Rosegger should be mentioned in particular, whose
socio-critical novels mostly take place in his Upper Styrian homeland,
as well as Ottokar Kernstock, Franz Nabl and Max Mell in the early 20th
century. Since the beginning of the 1960s, Graz has been an important
crystallization point of contemporary Austrian literature: Authors such
as Elfriede Jelinek, Alfred Kolleritsch, Wolfgang Bauer and Peter Handke
have grouped themselves around the Forum Stadtpark and the magazine
manuSkripte. Reinhard P. Gruber created a satirical monument to Styria
with his novel From the life of Hödlmoser.
The composers Hugo
Wolf, Johann Joseph Fux and Robert Stolz come from Styria. The Styriarte
classical music festival has been held annually since 1985. In the field
of popular music, artists such as S.T.S. and Andreas Gabalier as well as
EAV achieved international fame.
In Styria, cultural life is
significantly shaped by regular events such as the Regionale, which
replaced the previous Styrian state exhibitions, the Diagonale Film
Festival and the Steirischer Herbst.
With the Universalmuseum
Joanneum (formerly the Landesmuseum Joanneum), founded in 1811 by
Archduke Johann, who later became the German Imperial Regent, Styria is
home to a museum with ten locations and 17 museums - including the
Kunsthaus Graz, Schloss Eggenberg, the Landesarsenal, the Landscape
Museum Schloss Trautenfels, Schloss Stainz with its hunting and
agricultural museum and the Joanneum Quarter, which opened in 2011 and
also houses the Neue Galerie Graz.
In addition, Styria has a
lively folk culture. Through the efforts of Archduke Johann and
important scholars such as Viktor Geramb and Konrad Mautner, a great
deal of cultural property was preserved that was lost in other parts of
Central Europe. Folk music, traditional costume (Styrian suit) and folk
dance are cultivated in the state. Events such as Aufsteirern and the
Narcissus Festival are worth mentioning in this context.
Among the most famous sights in Styria
the largest Marian
pilgrimage church in Austria Basilica of Mariazell,
the Erzberg in
Eisenerz,
the Benedictine monastery Admont,
the world's oldest
active Cistercian monastery in Rein (est. 1129),
the animal and
nature park Schloss Herberstein,
the Federal Stud Piber of the
Lipizzaners,
the Dachstein,
the Austrian Open-Air Museum in
Stübing near Graz,
the Riegersburg,
the green lake,
the Kulm
ski jump in Bad Mitterndorf/Tauplitz as well as
the provincial
capital of Graz, whose old town is a World Heritage Site.
The
most famous baroque palace complex in Styria is Eggenberg Palace in
Graz, which today houses the Old Gallery of the Joanneum Universal
Museum. About one million paying guests visit the castle park every
year.
The Herberstein Castle Animal and Nature Park is a zoo in
the Styrian municipality of Stubenberg am See, near St. Johann near
Herberstein, with a size of approximately 40 hectares. The park also
includes Herberstein Castle, which dates back to the 12th century.
The largest castle in Styria is the Riegersburg, the beginnings of
which date back to the 11th century. It is located in the place of the
same name, Riegersburg in the district of Southeast Styria. The second
largest castle is Strechau Castle in Upper Styria above Rottenmann.
Oberkapfenberg Castle in the town of Kapfenberg now houses a
collection of historical weapons and a bird of prey show. The Grazer
Schloßberg was the largest fortress in Styria. The fortress is listed in
the Guinness Book of Records as an unconquered site. Only after Napoleon
conquered Vienna and threatened to destroy the capital did the
Schlossberg surrender and French troops razed most of the buildings.
A culinary specialty of Styria is pumpkin seed oil. The name Styrian
Pumpkin Seed Oil has been a protected trademark since 1992. Also to be
mentioned are Beetle Beans, Schilcher, Styrian Junker and the products
of Zotter Schokoladen. Well-known brews are Murauer, Schladminger,
Puntigamer, Reininghaus and Gösser beer.
Typical Styrian wines
are made from the following grape varieties: Welschriesling, Pinot
Blanc, Morillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Gelber Muskateller, Pinot Gris,
Riesling and Traminer. The bright red "shimmering" Schilcher comes from
western Styria.
Sterz is one of the famous typical Styrian meals.
This can be prepared in a variety of ways and is eaten with coffee or
soups. The Kern-Buam Da Styrian custom of "(...) Türkensterz with ana
Schwaumm'suppn on it (...)" is also mentioned in the song that has
become a folk song.