Pöllau: Church, Castle and Experiences

Pöllau stands out for its striking combination of a religious building and a former monastery. Pöllau Parish Church is often called the “Styrian St Peter’s” because of its size and floor plan. Pöllau Castle, the former Augustinian monastery, is situated in the heart of the town. From architecture and the history of European physics to herbs, activity stations and trails, there is a range of topics you can include in your travel plans. This means you can explore Pöllau from different angles: culture, hands-on activities and nature.

Church, Castle and the Comparison with Rome

The name “Styrian St Peter’s” refers to two specific features: the size and floor plan of the parish church. The comparison with Rome also extends to the architecture: the church’s floor plan and the imposing domed building of Pöllau Castle were modelled on St Peter’s Basilica. This brings two distinct points of comparison into focus—the floor plan of the church and the domed building of the castle. Anyone interested in architecture can make the comparison based on precisely these features.

Guided tours are offered of the church of the former Augustinian monastery, now Pöllau Parish Church, as well as of Pöllau’s Baroque town centre. Both the church building and the town centre are therefore among the cultural topics covered by guided tours. Pöllau Castle, a former monastery in the heart of the town, completes the picture.

The History of Physics to See and Experience

The Echophysics Museum introduces the interested public to the history of European physics and European physicists. The exhibition features more than 700 instruments, photographs, films and documents. These include the complete collection of original measuring instruments from the Vienna Institute for Radium Research and those of Styrian Nobel Prize-winning physicist Victor Franz Hess. Experiments are demonstrated during guided tours at Echophysics, and visitors can also operate the instruments themselves. Historical collection pieces, demonstrations and hands-on exploration thus come together in one subject area.

Discovery Trails and Interactive Stations

The Pöllau Nature Park Discovery Loop starts in Pöllau Castle Park, passes the Aupark and the outdoor swimming pool, and then returns to the castle park. The start and finish are therefore in the same place; the stops mentioned provide a clear guide to the route. The “Hirschbirn hirsch’n” experience also begins at an information station in Pöllau Castle Park. There are interactive experience stations at seven locations. The distinction is clear for planning: one option describes a loop and its route, while the other focuses on seven stations at different locations.

The NaturKRAFTpark offers 13 stations in a scenic setting, where visitors can explore outer and inner paths. It complements the specific trail and station offerings with its own thematic focus. If you are interested in several types of experiences, you can compare the options described by route, number of stations and theme, without combining them into a single circular walk.

Herb Garden, Courses and Ravine Forest

The Zemanek Organic Herb Farm offers tastings of herb specialities in its herb garden. Walks through the aromatic garden and herb fields with master gardener Wolfgang Zemanek are also available. The tasting and walks offer different focuses: one centres on herb specialities, while the other takes you through the garden and fields.

The Tobisch Archery Ranch has a 3D course and a field course. Important for planning: compound bows are not permitted. The Fieberbründlweg 945 passes through the Schönau Gorge and forms a circular route together with the connecting road via Schönaudorf. Schönau Gorge is a cool, damp ravine forest on the Kroisbach, about one kilometre northwest of Schönaudorf.

When looking for a holiday apartment, you can start by considering which topics matter most to your travel group: architecture and museums, interactive stations, herb-related activities, or trails and landscapes. This lets you choose where to stay based on the interests you want to focus on during your trip.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Sankt Johann In Der Haide, Neudau, Eichberg, Buch-Geiseldorf, Penzendorf, Sankt Lorenzen Am Wechsel, Bad Waltersdorf, Ilz.

Back to the regional travel overview: Hartberg-Fürstenfeld.