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Styria, also known as the Green Heart of Austria, is a federal state in Austria. It is known for its natural beauty, including vineyards, orchards, forests, and fields, as well as its cultural attractions, such as the historic city of Graz. Styria has a unique identity, with its own traditional crafts, cuisine, and music. It also has a distinct history, having been a margraviate under the Otakar dynasty and later a duchy in its own right before becoming a central part of Inner Austria. Today, Styria is home to a thriving clean technology sector and is famous for its food and wine, including its signature speciality, pumpkin seed oil.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Historical rulers | Otakar dynasty, Babenberg family, King Ottokar of Bohemia, Habsburgs |
| Current political party | Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) |
| Governor | Siegfried Nagl (ÖVP) |
| Capital | Graz |
| Population before World War I | 68% German-speaking, 32% Slovene |
| GDP in 2018 | 49.6 billion € |
| GDP contribution to Austria | 12.9% |
| World-famous specialities | Pumpkin seed oil, runner beans |
| F1 Grand Prix | Styrian Grand Prix, Austrian Grand Prix |
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What You'll Learn
- Styria is a federal state of Austria, but it was once its own Duchy
- Graz, the capital of Styria, is a modern, vibrant city with a rich history
- Styria is home to many unique traditions, including local festivals, crafts, and cuisine
- The region is known for its natural beauty, including mountains, vineyards, and orchards
- Styria has a long history of foreign rule and conflict, including invasions by the Ottoman Turks
Styria is a federal state of Austria, but it was once its own Duchy
Styria, a region in modern-day southern Austria and northern Slovenia, was once its own Duchy. Created by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in 1180, the Duchy of Styria was a part of the Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806. It was formed when the March of Styria, which had been a part of the Duchy of Carinthia, was raised to become a duchy of its own.
The Duchy of Styria was ruled by various dynasties, including the Otakars, the Babenbergs, the Habsburgs, and the Hungarian and Bohemian kingdoms. In 1192, per the Georgenberg Pact, the Austrian Duke Leopold V also became the Duke of Styria. After the demise of the Babenberg dynasty, Styria came under the control of Hungary and later Bohemia. During this time, it lost significant territory, including the former capital, Steyr.
In the following centuries, Styria changed hands several times. It was reunited with Austria in 1282 when the Habsburgs regained control. In 1457, both duchies were again ruled in personal union when Leopold's grandson Frederick V inherited Austria. In 1512, the Duchy of Styria joined the Empire's Austrian Circle, and a second Inner Austrian cadet branch of the Habsburgs ruled over Styria from 1564.
After World War I, the Duchy of Styria was partitioned along ethnic lines, with the southern, Slovene-speaking third becoming a part of Slovenia, and the remaining two-thirds forming the Austrian federal state of Styria. Today, Styria is a federal state of Austria, known for its natural beauty, clean technology sector, and status as the most forested of all the Austrian states.
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Graz, the capital of Styria, is a modern, vibrant city with a rich history
Graz has a notable history as the capital of the multiethnic Duchy of Styria and was a centre of Slovene culture. The University of Graz, founded in 1585, played a significant role in the development of Slovene nationalism in the 19th century. The city was also held by the French during the Napoleonic Wars in 1797, 1805, and 1809, and the Schlossberg fortifications were blown up by the French in accordance with the Treaty of Schönbrunn.
Today, Graz is a modern and vibrant city, known for its picturesque setting and bustling university town atmosphere. It is surrounded by lush orchards, vineyards, and mountains, including Plabutsch Mountain and Schöckl Mountain. The city has a strong focus on clean technology, with over 150 clean technology companies and a high growth rate in this sector. Graz is also known for its cultural offerings, with various museums, art galleries, and a contemporary arts festival held each autumn.
The city has a notable political history, with the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) surprisingly taking first place in the 2021 municipal election and leading a coalition with the Greens and SPÖ. Graz has also been recognised for its cultural significance, holding the title of "European Capital of Culture" in 2003 and being designated a UNESCO "City of Design" in 2011.
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Styria is home to many unique traditions, including local festivals, crafts, and cuisine
Styria, also known as the "Green March", is an Austrian state with a rich history and a strong sense of folk culture and unique traditions. Located in the forested and hilly regions of Austria, it boasts a diverse range of local festivals, crafts, and cuisine that set it apart from the rest of the country.
Local Festivals
Styria is known for its vibrant festivals that take place throughout the year, often coinciding with the changing seasons and Christian festivals like Easter and Christmas. One of the highlights is the Styrian Sounds Festival, a celebration of pop music held annually in April. The Weizer Easter Market and the Easter markets in Fürstenfeld are also popular attractions, where Easter traditions and local crafts are on full display. The raising of the maypole, the harvest festival, and Advent markets are other beloved traditions. Sports enthusiasts can enjoy action-packed races at the Red Bull Ring, while cultural enthusiasts can explore fascinating exhibitions and shows at museums.
Crafts and Traditions
Styria has a strong folk culture that is deeply embedded in the everyday lives of its people. This includes unique dances, songs, stories, and handicrafts. The region offers a wide variety of traditional costumes, from classic dirndls to contemporary interpretations found in Graz. The Lipizzan costume, for example, is a well-known traditional outfit. The Styrian harmonica plays a central role in their folk music, with its distinctive sound adding to the region's charm.
Cuisine
Styrian cuisine varies across regions, with the north specialising in game, fish, and fried foods, while the south favours fruit, chicken, and sausages. The "aufg'setzte Henn", a traditional roast chicken dish made with Sulmtaler chicken, is a cultural treasure. The region also has a strong soup tradition, with nettle soup being a popular choice. Local taverns and mountain huts offer a range of culinary delights, from cold snacks to hot, traditional Alpine dishes. Scarlet runner beans, cheese, horseradish, fish delicacies, and meat from regional farms are all paired with exquisite vinegar, oil, wines, and brewery-fresh beers. The "Zirberl", a spirit made from red pine cones, is a classic Styrian beverage that is sometimes used in desserts like stone pine parfait.
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The region is known for its natural beauty, including mountains, vineyards, and orchards
Styria, also known as the "Green Heart of Austria", is known for its natural beauty, including mountains, vineyards, and orchards. The region is densely wooded and boasts a diverse landscape of fields, meadows, forests, and lakes. The Dachstein, standing at 2,995 meters, is Styria's highest mountain peak and can be explored at the Dachstein Glacier World, where visitors can take in stunning views of the mountain ranges over the Ennstal Valley. The Admont Abbey, located in the Gesäuse National Park, is another notable attraction, boasting the largest monastery library in the world.
Southern Styria, in particular, is renowned for its wine routes, wineries, and wine taverns. The South Styrian Wine Route winds through the gentle hills of the region, offering breathtaking views of vineyards, wineries, and vinotheques. The Sausal Wine Route takes visitors through the rolling hills and excellent wines of the Gamlitz region. Ehrenhausen an der Weinstraße, Sulztal an der Weinstraße, and Straß in Styria are also popular wine villages along these routes.
The natural beauty of Styria extends beyond its mountains and vineyards. The region is home to colourful, rich meadows and pastures that support a diverse array of plant and animal life. The rare butterfly species, the pale meadow-headed ant-blue, calls the Styrian meadows home, along with protected bird species such as the corncrake and the roller. The Pöllau Valley is notable for its old Styrian variety of pear trees, with some trees up to 200 years old.
The capital of Styria, Graz, is a picturesque, bustling university town surrounded by lush orchards and vineyards. The city has a unique architectural style that incorporates glass, concrete, and steel. Graz also serves as the starting point for exploring other natural attractions in the region, such as the Styrian Tuscany area in western Styria, known for its similar landscape of hills, valleys, wine, and culture.
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Styria has a long history of foreign rule and conflict, including invasions by the Ottoman Turks
After the demise of the Babenbergs, Styria fell under the control of Hungary and later Bohemia. During this time, it lost large parts of its territory, including the former capital, Steyr. When the Habsburgs reunified Austria in 1282, Styria was returned to them, and it remained a part of the Habsburg monarchy until the dissolution of the Austrian Empire in 1918. The Ottoman invasions of the 16th and 17th centuries caused significant damage and depopulation in Styria, with the Turks invading nearly twenty times, destroying churches, monasteries, cities, and villages, and killing or enslaving the population.
The Ottoman Empire's first attempt to capture Vienna, the capital of the Archduchy of Austria, occurred in 1529, with over 100,000 men led by Suleiman the Magnificent. Although Vienna survived the siege, the countryside around it was pillaged, and many civilians were killed or enslaved. The failure of the siege marked the beginning of 150 years of military tension between the Habsburgs and Ottomans, culminating in a second siege of Vienna in 1683. The Ottoman Empire made further inroads into Central Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, with conflicts including the Polish-Ottoman War, the Great Turkish War, and the Austro-Turkish War.
After World War I, the Duchy of Styria was partitioned along ethnic lines, with the southern, Slovene-speaking third becoming part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (modern-day Slovenia), and the remaining two-thirds becoming the Austrian federal state of Styria. The German-speaking population of Lower Styria was either expelled or migrated from the region due to the turbulence of the two world wars.
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Frequently asked questions
Styria is a federal state of Austria.
Austrian German is often more polite and indirect than German spoken in Germany. For example, Austrians tend to greet people with "Grüß Gott" (God bless you) or Servus, whereas Germans tend to say "Guten Tag" (good day) or "Hallo".
Yes, Styria is known for its pumpkin seed oil, which has a dark green colour, nutty aroma, and intense flavour. The region is also famous for its runner beans, which were introduced in the sixteenth century, and its mirror carp, common carp, linear carp, and leather carp.
One notable difference is the way people order coffee. In Austria, it is customary to ask for "Obers" or "Schlagobers" (whipped cream) instead of "Sahne" (cream). Additionally, when describing food as tasty, Austrians tend to say "Es hat mir gut geschmeckt" (it tasted good to me) instead of "lecker" (tasty).
Yes, the Styrian Grand Prix is a Formula One race held in Styria. In 2020 and 2021, it was hosted consecutively with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring circuit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
