Fürstenfeld Fortress Trail (Fürstenfelder Festungsweg)

The Fortress Trail in Fürstenfeld - the history of the fortress town is vividly described at 13 stops worth seeing.

The townscape of the former border town Fürstenfeld is characterized by imposing remains of old fortifications. The Fürstenfeld Fortress Trail takes you to these historic sites and provides an exciting insight into the history of the fortress town through 13 stops that are well worth seeing. The start is in the courtyard of the Pfeilburg.

Fürstenfeld is the center of the thermal region of Eastern Styria and attracts many visitors as a commercial and shopping town. The opening of the borders to the east moved Eastern Styria and the former border town on the "iron curtain" into the center of Europe. The cityscape of the old border town Fürstenfeld is characterized by imposing remains of the old fortifications. Fürstenfeld was founded around 1170 by Margrave Ottokar IV as a sovereign town to secure the imperial border to the east and as a trading town. The first documented mention dates back to 1178. This first market was protected by walls and towers and nestled up against the castle built high above the Feistritz River and the Knights of St. John command. The Knights of St. John also held the parish rights of Altenmarkt and Übersbach and dominated the region along the Lafnitz border with their presence very early on. In the 16th and 17th centuries, this medieval town fortification was expanded to meet the requirements of the time and supplemented by bastions.

Walkable and informative attractions

The fortifications of the town of Fürstenfeld have been restored in recent years and made accessible by the Fürstenfeld Fortress Trail. The path leads from the museum in the Pfeilburg via the Kavalier to the Ungarbastei, on to the Schlossbastei and from there to the Feistrit shore. It continues up the Feistritz slope and over the old city wall to the main square. From there the path continues to the Mühlbastei and the Grazertor. Via the Augustinerbastei you reach the starting point again, the Pfeilburg. At the same time, the work of the Knights of St. John in the Fürstenfeld area, in Übersbach and in Altenmarkt is shown. The three historically significant church complexes are connected by a bicycle path - the Ritterorden Radl-Tour. This path is also ideally suited for electric bicycles. With the Fortress Trail and the Knights of the Order of Knights Bike Tour, the fortress complex and the work of the Knights of St. John - today the Maltese - can be experienced as walkable and informative attractions.

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

Best season

January

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

The tour in numbers

3,5 km

Route

2:00 h

Time

54 hm

Uphill

58 hm

Downhill

282 m

Highest point

Map & downloads

Download GPX data

Download KML data

More information

Here you can plan your fastest journey - to the route planner.

Start and 1 station is the Pfeilburg, follow the marking on the ground (Maltese cross) to the Kavalier behind the Pfeilburg. Continue along Wallstraße to the Kurtine lookout, continue along Wallstraße to the Eurospar parking lot where the Ungarbastei and the first bunker are located (the bunker can only be visited in conjunction with a guided tour) follow to the crossroads and turn left into the main street, past the ice cream parlor to the City parking lot where the lookout platform is located. Go back and cross the street to the former Ungartor, turn right in the direction of Stadt Zug Platz and left into Burgenlandstraße, there turn left into the park of the JUFA guesthouse, on the left side is now the iron bridge which connects you with the old castle at the stone. The stairs lead you to the castle bastion with the newly laid out rose garden. Follow the path into Feistritzgasse. Continue to the left until you reach a green iron gate on the Feistritz. Open it and follow the path on the unpaved Feistritzwall. At the end, a staircase leads you up to the inner town. Cross the street to the main square/ Mariensäule. Continue through Theatergasse, at the end turn right into Santnergasse to Mühlbastei. Continue to the left to the Grazertor. Cross the street at the gate into the Wallgraben. At the end you get back to Wallstraße which you follow to the left and get to the starting point of the Pfeilburg.

From 6 people you can book a guided tour at the Gästeinfo Fürstenfeld. Detailed brochure available for purchase.

Timetables and travel information can be found directly at: Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), Steiermärkische Landesbahnen (STLB), www.busbahnbim.at.

With the BusBahnBim app from Verbundlinie, timetable information has never been easier: all bus, train and streetcar connections in Austria can be queried by entering locations and/or addresses, stops or important points. The app is available as a free app for smartphones (Android, iOS) - on Google Play and in the App Store.

The Thermenlandbus also takes you directly to Fürstenfeld on the fastest way.

Public parking areas (free of charge) in Wallstraße (signposted Stadthalle)

Tourist Office Thermen- & Vulkanland
Gästeinformation Fürstenfeld
Hauptstraße 2a
8280 Fürstenfeld
Tel: +43 3382 55 100-81
fuerstenfeld@thermen-vulkanland.at
www.thermen-vulkanland.at

Learn more about the history of Fürstenfeld and the tobacco factory in the Pfeilburg Museum.