Dörfla: Legends Trail and Local History

Dörfla Between Local History and the Legends Trail

There are two distinct cultural ways to explore Dörfla during a stay: the history of individual buildings, and a trail that connects stories with their places of origin and with local history. The Old Fire Station Depot and the Lukas-Hydn House are specific historical landmarks in Dörfla. The St. Martin im Sulmtal Legends Trail has a different focus: it passes through named settlement areas and an appealing natural landscape.

Historic Buildings in Dörfla

Historic equipment dating from the founding year of 1904 is exhibited and presented at the Old Fire Station Depot of the St. Martin im Sulmtal Volunteer Fire Brigade at Dörfla 20. The focus is therefore on a clearly defined period in the history of the fire brigade. Visiting arrangements may change, so check in advance for the latest options.

The Lukas-Hydn House at Dörfla 28 offers a different point of reference in time. It was built three years after the Franziszeischer Kataster (Franciscan Cadastre) was drawn up in 1828. Thus, the year 1828 refers to the cadastre as a point of reference, not to the year the house was built. Anyone exploring local history can bear in mind the distinction between the cadastre and the house, which was built later.

Legends Trail: Stories and Landscape

The St. Martin im Sulmtal Legends Trail connects stories with the places where they originated and with local history. At the same time, it passes through an appealing natural landscape and significant historic settlement areas in the cadastral communities of Dörfla, Sulb and Aigen. The route thus links its storytelling theme with the explicitly named landscapes and settlement areas.

The Legends Trail is of moderate difficulty. As trail conditions can change, it is a good idea to check them before setting out.

Another named route is the Ölspur-große Familientour No. 727. At Dörfla, it leaves the main road and then continues to Dietmannsdorf. This specific information about the tour differs from the cultural description of the Legends Trail: here, the turnoff from the main road at Dörfla and the continuation to Dietmannsdorf are given. “Familientour” (family tour) is part of the route’s name.

Cultural History in St. Martin im Sulmtale

The parish church of St. Martin im Sulmtale is also a historical landmark: it is first mentioned in 1244. Its exterior is that of a simple Baroque church; only a few remains of the Gothic church have survived. The first mention in 1244 should be distinguished from a statement about the year it was built.

The “Steirisches Sänger- und Musikantentreffen” (Styrian Singers’ and Musicians’ Gathering) has been held in the St. Martin cultural hall as an activity of the St. Martin folk dance group for decades, every two years. If you would like to plan a stay around this event, check the current dates in advance.

A past example from the cultural hall’s theatre program is the performance of “Charley’s Aunt” in January 2023. The VTG-Bühne St. Martin i. S. performed the play on several dates at the time. This dated example complements the long-running event series with a specific theatre performance from the recent past, without implying anything about current performance dates.

Discover more destinations: Sankt Martin Im Sulmtal, Gundersdorf, Graschuh, Wettmannstätten, Gamsgebirg, Wielfresen, Sommereben, Hörmsdorf

For the broader travel overview: Deutschlandsberg.