Discover Mariahof: Moor, Pond and History

Mariahof invites you on a journey where nature observation, water-based experiences and cultural history each provide a different focus. Dürnberger Moor, Furtner Pond and the historic buildings offer various directions for your planning: you can set aside a day by the water, explore a moorland landscape or learn about the history of Steinschloss and the parish church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. When different interests come together in your travel group, this variety helps you choose the right holiday focus and therefore also helps you find a holiday apartment or holiday house.

Nature experience at Dürnberger Moor

Dürnberger Moor formed around 12,000 years ago. Rare animals and plants live in Dürnberger Moor, including the carnivorous sundew. This gives the moor a special character that distinguishes it from ordinary walking routes: alongside the landscape itself, the focus is on observing a particular plant and animal world.

One specific way to include the area in your plans begins at the Oberdorf car park northwest of Vockenberg. From there, the path leads past the Anawander farmstead to Dürnberger Moor and its observation tower. You can mark this route as a separate nature experience in your itinerary and take the observation tower into account as the destination. Route details should remain precisely on the course described here.

Furtner Pond: Swimming, Fishing and Bird Sanctuary

Furtner Pond in Mariahof is a destination for swimming and fishing. You can experience this area along a circular trail around the bird sanctuary at Furtner Pond. This creates a second, clearly water-oriented option for planning your day, distinct from the moorland landscape and its special plant life.

Furtner Pond is freely accessible every day throughout the year. This information is particularly relevant for planning if you do not want to arrange your days exclusively around a single seasonal activity. Whether you focus on swimming, fishing or experiencing the bird sanctuary is left to your personal travel plans.

Steinschloss and the Parish Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary

Mariahof also offers notable themes in terms of cultural history. The Steinschloss castle ruins are regarded as the highest-altitude castle in Styria. They were probably built in the 12th century by the noble family “von Stein”. In 1503, Steinschloss was sold by its then owner, the Liechtenstein noble family, to St. Lambrecht Abbey. This history connects the ruins with regional power and ownership structures without requiring you to reduce their development to a single era.

The parish church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Mariahof was first mentioned in a document in 1066 as “ecclesia Grazluppa”. After being destroyed by the Hungarians, it was rebuilt between 1482 and 1511 in the Late Gothic style. The parish church was also converted into a fortified structure. Those interested in historic building projects, church history and medieval changes will find here a different way of experiencing Mariahof than at the moor or pond.

Choose Your Accommodation According to Your Travel Itinerary

When looking for accommodation in Mariahof, you can use your preferred daily routine as the starting point. Those planning to swim and fish can put Furtner Pond on their personal list of excursions. Those fascinated by rare plants, animals and the formation of Dürnberger Moor can make the moor and the route from the Oberdorf car park to the observation tower the focus of their trip. For culturally interested travellers, Steinschloss and the parish church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary are the main historical topics. This allows you to choose a holiday apartment or holiday house based on your own itinerary without combining the different experiences into a single route.

For your further search, you can also visit the pages for Katsch an der Mur, Kulm am Zirbitz, Oberwölz Umgebung, Niederwölz, Schönberg-Lachtal, Winklern bei Oberwölz, Scheifling and Murau.

To the higher-level travel overview: Murau.