Sankt Veit an der Glan: City History, Markets and Nature

Sankt Veit an der Glan brings together a long city history, notable buildings, a museum covering a broad range of subjects, regular market days and nature-related activities. When planning your visit, it is worth distinguishing between historic sites in the city, technical subjects at the museum, the weekly rhythm of the farmers’ market and the September opening of the Wiesenmarkt. The nature-related activities also appeal to different interests: Vituspark is used mainly for hiking, while themed e-bike tours are presented through several guidance channels.

City History in Buildings and Objects

The history of Sankt Veit an der Glan spans more than 800 years and is documented by numerous culturally and historically valuable exhibits. Individual buildings and objects provide specific points of reference in time. The Münzturm (Mint Tower) is protected as a historic monument by regulation. The marble plague column was created after the plague was repelled in 1715. The Schüsselbrunnen (Bowl Fountain) contains a marble basin from a Roman-era fountain in Virunum on the Zollfeld plain. The city centre also has a city wall, and the town hall features a glass-roofed courtyard. These examples represent different kinds of historical traces: the basin of the Schüsselbrunnen refers to a Roman fountain, while the plague column dates to 1715; the wall, Mint Tower and courtyard draw attention to the built city. The cityscape thus brings together historical objects, the history of events and architectural features.

Museum: Technology and City History

The St. Veit Museum covers railways, model railways, city history, motorisation, postal services and telecommunications. These subjects connect transport technology with the history of the city and communications, so the museum is not limited to a single historical perspective. One special feature is the world’s only driving simulator for a railcar of the 4030 series, located there. It complements the railway and model railway exhibits, while motorisation and telecommunications add further technical fields. If you are interested in technology, the simulator can be seen as part of a broader range of subjects that also takes the city’s history into account.

Markets Throughout the Week and Year

The St. Veit farmers’ market takes place on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the main square. If you would like to plan your stay around a market visit, check the times before travelling. The St. Veit Wiesenmarkt marks a different point in the calendar: it opens on the last Saturday in September with a traditional parade. While the farmers’ market returns on two mornings each week, the Wiesenmarkt is associated with its September opening and parade. The two markets therefore differ both in frequency and in the nature of their dates.

Hiking and Themed E-Bike Tours

Vituspark is a wooded area used mainly for hiking. E-bike tours offer a different kind of activity: nine themed tours have been designed and are presented through an app, an orientation map and markers in nature. The two options differ both in activity and in the way you find your way around. Hiking is the main focus at Vituspark; for the tours, themes and several ways of presenting them provide the framework. The app, map and markers combine digital information, map-based orientation and guidance in nature. To choose what suits you, you can first consider whether you are mainly interested in hiking or in a themed e-bike tour.

Discover more destinations: Passering, Friesach, Metnitz, Frauenstein, Guttaring, Althofen, Flattnitz, Liebenfels.

Go to the main travel overview: Sankt Veit An Der Glan.