Weiz: Culture, City History and Nature Trails

Weiz combines a rich city history with art, pilgrimage trails and experiences in nature. The city museum focuses on the electrical industry and the pioneering work of Weiz engineer Franz Pichler. At the Taborkirche and the basilica on Weizberg, you can discover architectural history from different centuries; the Kunsthaus adds contemporary art and events to a cultural stroll. Weiz therefore offers a range of highlights to help you plan your trip—from churches and exhibitions to trails and regional specialties.

City History, Churches and Art

The Taborkirche, also known as St. Thomas Church on the Tabor, is the oldest surviving building in Weiz. It was dedicated to St. Thomas Becket of Canterbury in 1188. Among its notable works of art is the Baroque high altar painting, created by J. A. Ritter von Mölck in 1771, which depicts the oldest surviving view of the Weiz market town. Partly well-preserved Romanesque and Gothic frescoes add to the church’s features. In the Tabor courtyard, late antique gravestones from the 1st to 2nd centuries are located on the south side of the church. The fortified Tabor, with its gatehouse, round towers, curtain wall and moat, was built in the 16th century.

The church on Weizberg also has several construction phases: the first church there was built in the 11th century. In the 18th century, a Baroque basilica replaced the simple Romanesque basilica. The church was elevated to the status of a minor basilica in January 2018. The Baroque church building is 53.58 metres long and its interior is adorned with frescoes by Josef Adam Ritter von Mölck.

The Weiz City Museum is a central institution in the city’s cultural life and preserves its cultural and historical memory. It documents the history of the electrical industry in Weiz as well as the pioneering work of Weiz engineer Franz Pichler. Contemporary art takes centre stage in the year-round exhibitions at the city gallery in the Kunsthaus Weiz. Located on the second floor, it covers 310 m² and is primarily used for exhibitions. The Frank Stronach Hall has 634 seats. The Kunsthaus’s programme includes classical music and pop, exhibitions, workshops, readings and theatre performances; individual dates and events vary.

Pilgrimage Trails, Hikes and Caves

The Spiritual Trail is a 3 km pilgrimage route with seven stations between the Taborkirche in the city centre and the basilica on Weizberg. If you want to link these two churches as the endpoints of a route, the trail offers clear guidance. The Nature Experience Trail has a different focus: it leads downhill from Weiz to the Raabklamm gorge and returns via Hafning. Along the way, numerous information boards and interactive stations explain the flora and fauna of Eastern Styria.

The Jägersteig in the Weizklamm gorge is a short hike. Its features include caves, a suspension bridge and ropes to hold on to along the walls. The Katerloch cave offers another concrete measure for planning a tour: its guided route covers around 1 km, with an elevation difference of 135 m and 400 steps. Katerloch is considered Austria’s cave richest in stalactites. These trail features distinguish the short routes by their focus: the Spiritual Trail centres on connecting the churches and its seven stations, the Nature Experience Trail on introducing visitors to local flora and fauna, and the Jägersteig on caves and a suspension bridge.

The large adventure forest stretches across Weiz and Mortantsch and ends at the large playground in Hofbauer (Augsten) Landscape Park. It adds another Weiz experience: a natural area with a clearly named endpoint. The park and adventure forest differ in theme from the church-related trails: here, the focus is on the landscape and the playground at the end of the adventure forest.

Cycling Routes and Regional Specialties

Two routes with different connections are described for cycling visitors. The Weiz Almenland Cycle Tour connects the district capital of Weiz with the Almenland. The Raab Valley Cycle Path, which is just under 112 km long, passes through the historic town of Weiz; from Weiz, it runs downhill all the way. These details clarify how each route connects places and, for the Raab Valley Cycle Path, the direction of travel from Weiz.

The Weiz sheep farmers are another regional specialty. Their cooperative produces a wide range of selected specialties from sheep’s milk and lamb, and processes sheep’s wool to a high standard for a variety of uses. During the experience tour of an interactive show dairy, five stations introduce visitors to lamb and sheep products. These include tastings of various sheep’s cheeses and cheese refinement. As reservation details may change, it is advisable to check the dates and reservation requirements for the experience tour in advance.

Discover more destinations: Sankt Ruprecht an der Raab, Plenzengreith, Pischelsdorf in der Steiermark, Brand, Sankt Kathrein am Hauenstein, Rettenegg, Gersdorf an der Feistritz, Stenzengreith, Sankt Georgen, Gleisdorf, Passail, Birkfeld, Anger, Sankt Kathrein am Offenegg II. Viertel, Fischbach, Fladnitz an der Teichalpe, Grosspesendorf, Breitenau, Ratten, Puch bei Weiz, Reichendorf, Gasen, Miesenbach bei Birkfeld, Markt Hartmannsdorf, Sankt Kathrein am Offenegg, Strallegg, Pircha, Hohenau an der Raab, Aschau, Weiz, Hofstätten an der Raab, Nitscha, Naintsch, Gemeinde Floing, Auen, Gschaid bei Birkfeld, Oberrettenbach, Mitterdorf an der Raab, Fresen.

For the broader travel overview: Styria.