Discover Murau: Winter Sports, Culture and Nature

If you are considering Murau for a ski holiday with varied interests, the Kreischberg ski area offers a clear focus on winter sports: 42 kilometres of pistes and 13 cable cars and lifts provide a concrete idea of the scope of the offering. For experienced skiers, these figures are a first indication of the size of the ski area; however, they do not replace a closer look at individual pistes or personal requirements. Kreischberg, the Murau region and your accommodation location are therefore three different reference points that you should consider separately when planning.

Winter sports as part of a varied trip

Around the destination, historical sights, nature experiences, cycling activities and regional culinary culture come together. This is particularly helpful when not all fellow travellers are following the same daily plan or when additional focuses besides skiing are desired. A ski hotel or other accommodation in Murau serves as your personal base for the trip, without this automatically implying a specific distance from a ski area or particular facilities.

Castle, urban history and museums

Murau Castle developed from a fortress built in the 13th century into a Renaissance castle constructed between 1628 and 1643. Murau Castle can only be visited as part of a guided tour. This makes the visit particularly suitable for travellers who would like to learn about architecture and historical connections through an accompanied tour.

At the Murau Handicraft Museum, the topics are organised by floor. The ground floor presents handicrafts, while the first upper floor focuses on early history, urban history and commercial history. The attic is dedicated to domestic and agricultural matters as well as firefighting in the home. The different areas make the museum a place where regional social and economic history can be explored from several perspectives.

The audio city tour through Murau leads through the historic townscape and follows in the footsteps of the Liechtenstein and Schwarzenberg families. It is available year-round and at any time. In addition, the city walk through Murau leads to historic squares in Murau's old town and follows in the footsteps of the minnesinger Ulrich von Liechtenstein, Anna Neumann and the princely House of Schwarzenberg. This allows you to choose between a time-independent audio tour and a thematically focused walk.

The Abbey Museum in St. Lambrecht displays exhibits from almost all periods since the monastery was founded. These include Romanesque and Gothic remnants of furnishings from various churches, as well as Baroque statues and paintings.

Wood, nature and family-oriented experiences

The Wood Museum in St. Ruprecht ob Murau offers a family experience centred around the raw material wood. It is a central point for wood-world tours as well as a visitor and information centre and the starting point for many tours throughout the entire Murau district. The site covers more than 10,000 square metres and conveys knowledge about wood, forests and forgotten things. For families looking for a themed excursion alongside skiing, this place combines exhibitions, information and links to tours.

The landscape also offers destinations in its own right. The Via Natura runs through the quiet forests, gentle alpine pastures, clear streams and impressive peaks of the Zirbitzkogel-Grebenzen Nature Park. Lake Auerling lies at an altitude of 1,315 metres at the foot of the Grebenzen and offers a tranquil body of water for swimming. The Günster Waterfall is designated as a natural monument. Frauenalpe is a local recreation area all year round and the home mountain of the town of Murau.

Cycling and regional mobility

For the warmer season and for sporting variety, the Murau region offers opportunities for cycling, mountain biking and gravel biking. The section of the Murradweg cycle path through the region around Murau is approximately 45 kilometres long.

The Murtalbahn is a bicycle train and makes it possible to bridge sections of cycling tours on the Murradweg by train. In addition, the Murau region has five railway stations in Murau, Neumarkt in der Steiermark, Mariahof, Scheifling and Predlitz. Anyone choosing accommodation and planning excursions without travelling by car throughout can incorporate these documented rail and cycling connections into their personal travel arrangements.

Beer culture and regional specialities

The Brewery of the Senses offers a nearly two-hour multisensory experience tour with audiovisual stations as well as smell and hearing stations. The tour includes a tasting of various Murau beer specialities. The Beer Pharmacy is located in what is, according to records, the oldest building in the beer town of Murau. Regional products such as beer soaps, beer salts, beer jellies, pine-cone sweets, brewer's-grain spread and brewer's-grain ham were created there. These offerings add a distinctive note to Murau's cultural and culinary landscape.

Further local pages for your orientation: Teufenbach, Zeutschach, Krakauhintermühlen, Wildbad Einöd, Krakauschatten, Falkendorf, Frojach-Katsch, Mariahof, Sankt Veit In Der Gegend, Sankt Marein Bei Neumarkt, Schönberg-Lachtal, Stolzalpe, Schöder, Stadl An Der Mur, Sankt Lambrecht, Sankt Georgen Ob Murau, Sankt Blasen, Ranten, Oberwölz Stadt, Niederwölz, Neumarkt In Steiermark, Mühlen and Murau.

To the higher-level travel overview: Styria.