Discover Murau: Old Town, Parish Church and Brewing Culture

Murau can be explored from different perspectives: through its renovated old town, the history of the parish church, and insights into craftsmanship, life at the castle and brewing culture. The differences between the experiences are also useful for planning your visit: the town walk is described, the castle museum can only be visited as part of the tours on offer, and the Brauerei der Sinne experience tour lasts just under two hours.

Old Town, Town Walk and Parish Church

Around the main square and in the adjoining lanes, building façades in a variety of architectural styles define the renovated old town. If you would like to explore the town through its historic buildings, you can follow the Murau Town Walk: it starts at the information pavilion, follows yellow signs through the old town and passes historic town gates and buildings. The return route runs along the Mur promenade. This described walk links different parts of the urban area without requiring individual buildings to serve as stops.

The Parish Church of St. Matthew stands on an artificially widened terrace halfway up the southern slope of the castle hill. From the south, it can be reached via a masonry staircase. Its hillside location and Gothic architectural history give a visit to the church a distinctive architectural focus: it is one of the earliest and most interesting Gothic sacred buildings in Styria.

Architectural History of the Parish Church

Construction of the Parish Church of St. Matthew began in 1284 above the town, halfway up the southern slope of the castle hill. Later works can be clearly distinguished by date: numerous frescoes were uncovered during the interior restoration from 1939 to 1947. The exterior was renovated in 1971. Restoration of the church interior was completed in 1985; during this work, the old Liechtenstein crypt beneath the northern transept was also uncovered.

This sequence of events makes the church interesting not only as a Gothic building, but also for its restoration history. The uncovered frescoes and the crypt offer specific insights into different aspects of the church interior. Together with its location on the castle hill, they help distinguish the building’s history from the way visitors find their bearings in the town today: construction began in 1284, while the restoration work described here took place in the 20th century.

Castle Museum and Museum of Crafts

Murau Castle Museum offers a glimpse into life at the castle and the history of the family and estate through its picture gallery, kitchen, Knights’ Hall, Cat Hall, dungeon and chapel. One access condition is important when planning a visit: the museum can only be visited as part of the tours on offer.

The Murau Museum of Crafts focuses on something different. It preserves the cultural history of the town of Murau and the district, and safeguards cultural assets for future generations. The two museums therefore offer distinct perspectives: the castle museum focuses on life at the castle and the history of the family and estate, while the Museum of Crafts is dedicated to the cultural history of the town and district. Visitors interested in historical context can explore these subjects separately rather than treating them as the same museum visit.

Brauerei der Sinne

The Brauerei der Sinne experience tour takes visitors through the world of Murau beer and explains the brewing process from start to finish. It engages all five senses, with audiovisual stations as well as stations focused on smell and hearing. The tour lasts just under two hours, making it easy to factor into your day’s plans.

At the end of the experience tour, a tasting of various Murau beer specialities in the beer cellar is included. The tour thus combines an explanation of the brewing process with a tasting. This sets it apart from the cultural and historical themes of the museums: the focus here is on sensory experiences and how beer is made.

The Murtalbahn and the River Landscape

One section of the Murtalbahn’s heritage locomotive rides runs from Murau to St. Lorenzen. On the locomotive experience “Next Stop: Childhood Dream,” participants can operate the controls, valves and whistle of a steam train under the supervision of experienced locomotive drivers. The specific operating days for the experiences described may vary; check the available dates before your visit.

The river landscape between Murau and Triebendorf offers a different perspective: here, the Mur still has near-natural features, including a gravel island. The range of topics thus includes a described landscape feature alongside the town’s history and architecture. Discover more destinations: Zeutschach, Schönberg-Lachtal, Mühlen, Sankt Marein Bei Neumarkt, Wildbad Einöd, Mariahof, Schöder, Sankt Lambrecht.

For the higher-level travel overview: Murau District.