Discover Fürstenfeld: City History, Trails and Family Experiences

Fürstenfeld offers an unusual mix of city history, fortified paths, family-friendly experiences and peaceful landscapes. Those planning a trip with cultural discoveries and varied excursions will find different points of reference here when choosing a suitable holiday apartment or holiday home. The particular appeal lies in the way historic buildings, themed trails, activities for children and regional culinary experiences come together to create a varied travel programme.

City History between Pfeilburg and Fortifications

A prominent starting point for exploring Fürstenfeld is Pfeilburg. Its building core is the so-called “Schwartzturm” from the 13th century, one of the few preserved medieval residential towers in Styria. The Pfeilburg Museum presents local and contemporary history across three floors and approximately 700 square metres of exhibition space. This means your stay can remain varied even if you do not want to spend the entire day outdoors.

Schloss am Stein, Fürstenfeld’s main square and the Ungarbastei provide further historical highlights. Schloss am Stein was built around 1170 by Margrave Ottokar IV at a strategically advantageous location on the right bank of the Feistritz as a princely castle. The main square measures approximately 100 by 100 metres. Construction of the Ungarbastei as part of Fürstenfeld’s fortifications began in 1562. Along the Fürstenfeld Fortress Trail, the restored fortifications can be experienced at 13 stations. The trail leads to historic remains of the fortifications and provides insights into the history of the former fortified city; the circular route also includes medieval fortifications and mysterious bunkers from the Second World War.

Routes for Different Day Plans

Fürstenfeld offers several independent options for exercise. The Augustinian Circular Trail leads through meadows, fields and quiet sections of woodland. The sections of the cycle routes close to the city are also used as hiking trails. The Legends Trail connects Pfeilburg with Altenmarkt Parish Church via Buchwald and was created as a themed trail in 2005. Its starting point is at the car park of Fürstenfeld outdoor swimming pool, from where it initially follows the Motorikpark.

It is also possible to follow the Fürstenfeld City Walk in a clearly defined way: it begins at Hauptstraße 2a, in front of the tourist information office. This circular walk can be reached by train and scheduled bus; both stops are no more than a 15-minute walk from the starting point. When looking for accommodation, you can therefore consider whether your trip should focus more on city history, walks or several different excursion destinations.

Family Experiences and Special Excursions

In the moat in front of the Graz Gate, there is a playground and an animal enclosure with alpacas and goats. Ertlberg in the centre of Fürstenfeld offers a large slide, a flying fox facility, a swing and a large green area for children. The children’s city rally is suitable for getting to know the city in a playful way: it includes 13 stations in the city centre and asks tricky questions about Fürstenfeld’s history.

Fürstenfeld outdoor swimming pool has 23,000 square metres of water surface and 100,000 square metres of green space. Those who want to experience Fürstenfeld from a different perspective can take a sightseeing flight in a motor aircraft from the airfield; from above, Eastern Styria and southern Burgenland can be seen. The Braugasthaus “Fürstenbräu” provides a culinary addition, with a cuisine that combines tradition and modernity.

Choosing Accommodation Based on Your Own Interests

A holiday apartment in Fürstenfeld is particularly suitable for travel plans in which you want to divide your days flexibly between museums, city history, trails and family activities. The gallery in the Old Town Hall regularly presents exhibitions in vaulted rooms on the ground floor; artists from the region as well as from Austria and abroad display their works there.

Those who prefer to combine different landscape impressions can include the Augustinian Circular Trail, the Legends Trail and the hiking routes close to the city in their day plans. The Thermenland Fountain is a landmark commemorating the use of thermal water from a depth of 1,950 metres to heat public buildings and numerous households. Schloss Welsdorf also adds to the historic picture: today, only the northwest wing and three corner towers of the original Renaissance quadrangular building remain.

For further orientation, you can also visit the page Municipality of Großsteinbach. Other destinations at the same level are Leibnitz, Judenburg, Murau, Weiz, Murtal, Liezen and Radkersburg.

For the higher-level travel overview: Styria.