Judenburg is situated about 45km/28mi north of Klagenfurt, on a terrace above the right bank of the Mur. An old hill town with a legacy of fortifications and fine old buildings from its long history, it is a good base for exploring the Seetal Alps.
The main square and Rathaus (town hall) form the center of the town. The emblem of Judenburg (lit. "Jews' Castle") is a stone Jew's head, 500 years old, on the oriel window of the Post Hotel. Remains of the medieval castle are to be found on the banks of the Mur.
From Judenburg a mountain road leads 18km/11mi up to the Sabathy Hütte (1,616m/5,302ft; refreshments), from which it is a two hours' climb to the summit of the Zirbitzkogel (2,397m/7,865ft; Zirbitzkogelhaus a little way below the top). From this peak, the highest in the Seetal Alps, there is a panoramic view of the whole of the Eastern Alps.
Grebenzen also has a nature park which is open year round.
There is a coal mining museum in the town of Fohnsdorf near Knittelfeld. Mining of lignite began in the 17th century and stopped in 1978. Demonstration tunnels and part of the machine room have been preserved.
Address: Fohnsdorf Montanmuseum, A-8753 Fohnsdorf, Austria
5km/3mi east of Zeltweg the industrial town of Knittelfeld (626m/2,054ft; pop. 15,000) has Austrian Railways workshops and a large enamel factory. There are remains of an old round tower and parts of the town wall.
The town of Knittefeld is home to the famous train museum.
Address: Knittelfeld Tourist Office, Hauptplatz 15a , A-8720 Knittelfeld, Austria
Above the town of Judenburg, to the east (45 minutes) lie the ruins of Burg Liechenstein (12th C.), ancestral seat of the minnesinger Ulrich von Liechenstein (d. c. 1275). It once formed an effective barrier between the southeastern corner of the town and the approach road to Judenburg along the Purbach valley.
The 14th C. Magdalene Church on the far side of the Mur in Judenburg is a twin aisled building with a ribbed vault roof and wall paintings and beautiful stained glass dating from 1370-1420.
Judenburg's Maria Buch is one of the oldest pilgrimage churches in Styria. A Late Gothic hall building, it was begun in 1455. Above the tabernacle on the high altar stands the Holy Mother of Maria Buch, a life- size statue of the Virgin in red and blue (1480); in one hand she is holding the baby Jesus, in the other a sceptre. Also worth seeing are a number of side altars and statues and an outsize Late Gothic crucifix (1500) by Hans Gschiel.
The Neue Burg, now the seat of the county court, stands in Judenburg's Herrengasse. Built around 1600, it was once the summer residence of the Styrian Habsburgs and has an attractive interior courtyard (restored 1988).
Judenburg's single naved parish church of St Nicholas (c. 1500, altered in 17th and 19th C.) has side chapels with galleries above and two interesting figures, one of the Virgin and Child in sandstone (c. 1420) in the Chapel of Our Lady and a carved wooden statue of St Nicholas (18th C.). There are also figures of the Apostles.
There is a rewarding climb from Seckau to the summit of the Seckauer Zinken (2,398m/7,868ft; five and a half hours), to the north of the town, the highest point in the Seckau Alps (magnificent views).
At the southern end of Judenburg's main square stands the Town Tower (75m/246ft high; built 1449-1509); its upper floor with encircling gallery was added after the fire of 1840. On the southern side of the tower can be seen four Roman stones which were placed here later. Visitors may climb to the top.
East of Judenburg, on the northern bank of the Mur, lies the little industrial town of Zeltweg (670m/2,198ft; steelworks). 3km/2mi north of the town is the Österreichring, a Formula I motor-racing circuit 6km/4mi long (guided tours).
The main attraction in Zeltweg is the Farrach Palace, built between 1670 and 1680 in Italian Renaissance style. The palace has been refurbished and hosts numerous cultural and artistic events each year.
Read More
Kobenz - Seckau Benedictine Abbey
Read Less
Read More
Fohnsdorf - Coal Mining Museum, Austria
