Styria (duchy)

The Duchy of Styria (German: Herzogtum Steiermark) was a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, and a crownland of Austria-Hungary until its dissolution in 1918. This mountainous and scenic region, which became a center for mountaineering in the 19th century, is often called the "green march", because half of the area is covered with forests and one quarter with meadows, grasslands, vineyards and orchards. Styria is also rich in minerals, soft coal and iron, which has been mined at Erzberg since the time of the Romans. The Windisch Buheln is a famous Austrian wine-producing district. Styria was for long the most densely-populated and productive mountain region of Europe.

19th century Styria

The Semmering Railway, completed in 1854, was a triumph of engineering in its time, the oldest of the great European mountain railways; it was remarkable for its numerous and long tunnels and viaducts spanning mountain valleys, running from Gloggnitz in Lower Austria to Mürzzuschlag in Styria, and passing through some exceedingly beautiful scenery. The railway brought tourists to alpine lake resorts and mineral springs at Rohitsch and Gleichenberg, the brine springs of Aussee, and the thermal springs of Tuffer, Neuhaus and Tobelbad.

Related Topics:
Semmering Railway - 1854 - Rohitsch - Gleichenberg - Aussee - Tuffer - Neuhaus - Tobelbad

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