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Styria is a region full of things to see. The region has an interesting history and very diverse natural landscapes. From a natural point of view there are high mountains, vast valleys, hills and lakes. Among the natural wonders, we can indicate the northwestern mountainous area of the region. This area includes part of the Salzkammergut, an area shared with Upper Austria and Styria, and which has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
A DESTINATION WHERE NATURE DOMINATES
In Styria there is only one national park, the Gesäuse National Park (Nationalpark Gesäuse), which includes almost the entire mountain range of the same name in the Ennstal Alps (Ennstaler Alpen). While there are seven nature parks (Almenland, Mürzer Oberland, Sölktäler, Steirische, Eisenwurzen, Pöllauer Tal, Südsteirisches Weinland, and Zirbitzkogel-Grebenzen) that protect some of the region’s scenic beauties.
Among the things to see in the region there are some of the most renowned Austrian ski centers, to report that of Schladming located near the Hoher Dachstein, the highest mountain in Styria, and that of Ramsau am Dachstein.
A LONG SERIES OF HISTORIC CITIES
The main artistic attraction of the region is the city of Graz, whose historic center, full of Renaissance and Baroque buildings, has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Styria there is the most important Marian shrine in Austria, that of Mariazell. But there are many prestigious abbeys and monasteries present in the territory of the region, undoubtedly those of Admont, Vorau, Seckau and Sankt Lambrecht are to be mentioned.
Among the historic towns to report are those of Bad Radkersburg, Oberwölz, Murau, Hartberg, Fürstenfeld and Judenburg. Among the castles to visit are those of Herberstein and Riegersburg. Another interesting and spectacular tourist route is the one that can be done with the Semmering railway. This railway line connects the villages of Gloggnitz, in Lower Austria, and Semmering, in Styria, and is one of the places declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
