Discover Voitsberg: History and Culture

Explore Voitsberg through traces of very different periods: from medieval castle and town history to churches, late Gothic architecture and art on the town hall façade. The town also has museums and a former mining site whose landscape is being gradually redesigned. This offers several themes to consider when planning your trip: you can focus your stay on architectural history and art, explore historic landmarks, or turn your attention to the landscape and industrial heritage.

Buildings and Art in Voitsberg

St. Joseph’s Church was built as a monastery church between 1690 and 1708 and features Baroque and Rococo interior furnishings. Its function and design offer two different points of reference for understanding the building. Another architectural landmark is the Romhaus, renovated in 1536 in the Late Gothic style, with a gateway and an arcaded walkway. Comparing the dates makes the time gap between the Romhaus renovation and the construction of the church clear.

The Arik Brauer Town Hall brings architecture and art together: in 2002, Arik Brauer decorated its façade with sayings rendered in visual imagery. He installed around 120 m² of hand-painted tiles in mosaic form on the exterior walls; they depict proverbs. The town hall also houses a permanent gallery featuring works by local artists. A distinct link to Graz’s art history is the Hans Deutscher Memorial, created by artists from the Graz Secession in the 1950s.

Medieval Traces and a Long History

In the former Jewish quarter of Voitsberg, there was a synagogue of its own in the Middle Ages, until around 1493. This approximate date offers another point of reference for the town’s early history. Beer brewing at the Old Voitsberg Brewery is documented from at least 1578. These subjects lead to different aspects of the past: the religious life of a former town quarter and a historic brewing tradition.

The history of Obervoitsberg Castle Ruins goes back to a castle built in 1164 on land belonging to St. Lambrecht Abbey, at the behest of Ottokar IV, ruler of Styria. The first documented mention of the name dates from 1183. The construction of the castle and the later mention of its name can therefore be considered as two separate historical reference points.

Museums and Notable Buildings

The Franz Weiss Museum displays numerous woodcuts, reverse-glass paintings, early works and unique glass pieces by the versatile artist across two floors. The different groups of works offer an overview of his varied techniques. The Kern Buam Museum offers a different architectural highlight: it is made from wooden parts of two old farmhouses, each of which was over 300 years old. Comparing the two museums thus leads both to the artworks on display and to the architectural history of the museum building.

Trails, Landscape and Mining History

A hiking trail leads from Obervoitsberg Castle Ruins along the east wing of the former town fortifications to the town centre. There is also a historic walking tour through Voitsberg. It is unmarked and serves as a suggested route for visiting all 35 stops by the shortest route. The two forms of guidance differ in their layout: the hiking trail has a named starting point, follows the former fortifications and ends in the town centre; the walking tour is an unmarked suggestion for visiting the stops.

The Zangtal Energy Experience Park is a former mining site that is being gradually transformed into a landscape park themed around mining, an art trail, energy and nature. One of its special features is the old “Leopold” bucket-wheel excavator. Greißenegg Castle, meanwhile, is surrounded by a park and the recreation area around Grafenteich pond. These places broaden the focus from buildings and town history to industrial heritage and landscape.

Voitsberg as a Destination for Your Hotel Search

If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in Voitsberg, the town’s themes can offer a starting point for planning your trip. Architecture, art and medieval history sit alongside the transformation of the former mining site and the parkland around Grafenteich pond. Consider which of these interests you would like to focus on: this can help you explore Voitsberg as a destination through its specific cultural and landscape themes.

Discover More Destinations

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