Discover Hartberg-Fürstenfeld

Thermal spas, a large bathing lake, natural areas and important churches give Hartberg-Fürstenfeld a variety of holiday highlights. These include a visit to a thermal spa, Lake Stubenberg and historic sights in Vorau, Pöllau and Hartberg. If you are looking for a hotel, it helps to first decide which experiences you want to shape your stay.

Thermal Spas and Bathing Areas

The district’s four thermal spas and popular day-trip destinations include Heilthermen Resort Bad Waltersdorf, Rogner Bad Blumau and Thermenresort Loipersdorf. Heilthermen Resort offers numerous thermal-water pools and nine saunas. Wellness treatments include massages and beauty treatments. Rogner Bad Blumau was designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser; Thermenresort Loipersdorf is also one of the four thermal spas.

Covering 40 hectares, Lake Stubenberg is one of the district’s best-known day-trip destinations. Its shores are entirely undeveloped. Bathing areas include the lively eastern shore with its jumping rocks, the family-friendly Strandbad beach with a sandy beach, giant waterslide and large children’s play area, as well as quieter spots on the southern shore. The approximately three-kilometre, illuminated lakeside path is suitable for running and skating.

Nature and Landscape

Hartberger Gmoos is a 70-hectare Natura 2000 wetland immediately south of the town of Hartberg, now serving as a local recreation and quiet area. More than 150 bird species have been recorded there. Pöllauer Tal Nature Park covers 124 square kilometres. Its landscape includes the gentle hills of the Rabenwald and species-rich traditional orchards. You can explore three special natural gems on your own or with experienced nature and landscape guides.

Churches, Museums and History

Vorau Abbey of the Augustinian Canons is the only Augustinian Canons’ monastery in Styria that is still in existence. With its rich abundance of frescoes, the lavish gilding of its wooden sculptures and the magnificent furnishings of its high altar, the abbey church is one of the country’s most splendid Baroque churches. On 14 September 2018, the Vorau People’s Bible was added to UNESCO’s Austrian National Memory of the World Register.

Pöllau Castle is housed in a former Augustinian Canons’ monastery. The church’s floor plan and imposing domed structure were modelled on St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The courtyards can be viewed from outside; the interiors are accessible only as part of a guided castle tour. Before visiting, check whether a tour is available on your chosen date. The pilgrimage church of Pöllauberg is located in Pöllauer Tal Nature Park. It is High Gothic and is one of Styria’s most magnificent High Gothic churches.

In Hartberg, the permanent exhibition at the Museum in Historic Walls provides a fact-based overview of the town’s history. The Pfeilburg Museum in Fürstenfeld covers the town and the history of the border town through the ages, the smoking culture at the Kruzitürken Museum, and special exhibitions on the collecting activities of Fürstenfeld residents. At Villa Rustica, the well-preserved foundations of a large Roman country estate from the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD remain. The Pöllauer Hirschbirne PGI pear is also part of the region’s identity: the European Union has awarded it Protected Designation of Origin status.

Routes and Getting Around

The approximately 1.5-kilometre Archaeological Circular Trail near Hartberg follows a Celtic rampart and passes six stops. Information and images at the stops illustrate the history of settlement from the Celts to the Romans. The Fürstenfeld Fortress Trail brings historical themes to life at 13 stops and connects three historically significant church complexes via a Knightly Order cycling tour. On the Ringwarte circular route, more than 99 steps lead to the top of the Ringwarte; from there, you can enjoy panoramic views across the East Styrian hills.

Cycling and winter sports also offer different experiences. The southern section of the Feistritztal Cycle Route R8 runs through ApfelLand-Stubenbergsee and is a scenic, romantic cycling route. The Three Castles Tour in Hartbergerland runs entirely on paved roads. With its many climbs, it is suitable only for sporty cyclists or e-bike riders. The smaller ski areas in the northern part of the district offer around eleven kilometres of ski runs in total.

In Vorau, the SAM Oststeiermark shared taxi supplements public transport by providing connections for the first and last mile. In areas without public transport, it offers additional mobility options. Focus your search on the destinations that matter for your trip.

Discover more destinations: Hartberg, Altenmarkt Bei Fürstenfeld, Pöllauberg, Pöllau, Bad Waltersdorf, Sankt Jakob Im Walde, Obertiefenbach, Loipersdorf Bei Fürstenfeld, Söchau, Stubenberg, Fürstenfeld, Neudau, Buch-Geiseldorf, Tiefenbach Bei Kaindorf, Kaindorf, Sankt Stefan, Grafendorf Bei Hartberg, Karnerviertel, Schaueregg, Burgau, Riegersdorf, Sebersdorf, Ilz, Ebersdorf Bei Hartberg, Wenigzell, Mönichwald, Eichberg, Sankt Johann In Der Haide, Sankt Magdalena Am Lemberg, Sankt Johann Bei Herberstein, Sankt Lorenzen Am Wechsel, Vorau, Stein, Kleegraben, Maierhofbergen, Großwilfersdorf, Kaibing, Schildbach, Geiseldorf, Flattendorf, Penzendorf, Bad Blumau, Siebenbrunn.

For the main travel overview: Styria.