The Seckau Art Trail is a unique art project initiated by the local artist Heribert Nothnagel. Born in Seckau, Nothnagel attended the local Abbey High School before completing his artistic training at the Ortweinschule under Alexander Silveira. He later studied sculpture with Fritz Wotruba at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna.
As a dedicated teacher – starting in 1973 at the Abbey High School in Seckau and from 1980 to 2008 at the Ortweinschule – Nothnagel influenced generations of students, many of whom went on to become internationally recognized artists.
The expansion of the Seckau Art Trail took place in 2008 in collaboration with students from the Ortweinschule. Most sculptures were created using stone for durability, while metal and plastic were also incorporated. Under the theme “The Plastic Fragment”, the artworks were designed to suggest mystery and challenge the imagination of their viewers.
The sculptures and installations are set within the natural environment and are deliberately exposed to the elements. Weather and time leave visible traces on the works, serving as an artistic reminder of impermanence and the constant transformation inherent in nature and life.
The Seckau Art Trail uniquely combines nature, art, and history, inviting visitors to experience contemporary sculpture within an inspiring landscape.
Please find here a hiking tour, which includes the Art Trail