Bad Gleichenberg
About 5,000 people call Bad Gleichenberg, a municipality in the Südoststeiermark region of the Austrian state of Styria, home. Thermen- & Vulkanland, a mountainous area well-known for its fruit growing, volcanic activity, and thermal springs, is home to the town. Referring to the two hills that dominate the town’s environment, the Gleichenberg and the Buchkogel, the name Bad Gleichenberg translates to “bath of the equal mountains.”
Beginning in Roman times when it was a part of the province of Noricum, the town has a long and rich past. The Romans were already familiar with and users of the hot springs; they established a fort and a colony close to the source. Later feudal rulers included the Counts of Gleichenberg, the rulers of Wildon, and the Counts of Cilli governed the town. The town was plague- and Thirty Years’ War-stricken in the fifteenth century, and the Turks attacked and burnt it.
The town’s heydey started in the early 1800s when physician and businessman Johann Pongratz turned it into a chic spa resort. Purchasing the thermal springs and the adjacent property, he constructed a spa complex including a hotel, casino, theater, park, and church. Along with promoting the town as a health resort, he brought in a lot of Austrian and foreign aristocracy, artists, and celebrities. Emperor Franz Joseph I, Empress Elisabeth of Austria, Prince Metternich, Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms, and Peter Rosegger were among the well-known visitors.
Up to the start of World War I, which ended the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the spa culture of the town flourished. The town lost many of its amenities and tourists as a result of the social and economic fallout from the war. The town was likewise impacted by World War II, when the Soviets and then the Nazis controlled it. Rebuilt and refurbished after the war, the town reclaimed much of its previous splendor as a spa town.
With so many sights and activities to offer its visitors, Bad Gleichenberg is a well-liked tourist destination these days. The spa park, which spans 20 hectares and has over 300 distinct tree and plant species—some of which are more than 150 years old—is the primary draw of the town. In addition, the park features a playground, a pavilion, a fountain, a pond and a miniature golf course. Enjoying nature, unwinding, and taking in some fresh air are all made possible by the park.
A further draw is the contemporary thermal spa Therme der Ruhe (Thermal Bath of Peace), which provides a range of health and wellness treatments, saunas, pools, and massages. The 36°C natural thermal water from the town’s springs is used by the spa; it includes minerals like sulfur, calcium, magnesium, and sodium. The skin, respiratory system, musculoskeletal system, and neurological system are said to heal from the water.
The town offers a number of museums and monuments for those interested in history and culture, including the Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Denkmal, a monument honoring the emperor who made several visits to the town, and the Curmuseum, which chronicles the growth and history of the town’s spa industry.
In addition, the town is a terrific starting point for touring the surrounding area, which provides lots of chances for golfing, hiking, bicycling, and wine tasting. Part of the hiking trail “From the Glacier to the Wine” that links the Styrian vineyards with the Alps passes through the town. Additionally nearby to the town are the Styrian Volcano Land, the Zotter Chocolate Factory, the Riegersburg Castle, and the Vulcano Ham Factory.
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Table Of Contents
- 1 Geography Of Bad Gleichenberg
- 2 Demographics Of Bad Gleichenberg
- 3 Economy Of Bad Gleichenberg
- 4 History Of Bad Gleichenberg
- 5 Best Time To Visit Bad Gleichenberg
- 6 How To Get To Bad Gleichenberg
- 7 Top 10 Restaurants in Bad Gleichenberg
- 8 Top 10 Hotels In Bad Gleichenberg
- 9 Attractions & Landmarks In Bad Gleichenberg
- 10 Bad Gleichenberg Info Card
- 11 Go Next...
Geography Of Bad Gleichenberg
Bad Gleichenberg is a town in Austria on the eastern edge of the Styrian hill region. Situated nine kilometers south of Feldbach and around 42 kilometers south of Graz. Geologically speaking, the town is surrounded by young tertiary hill country, quaternary deposits in parallel valleys, and the Miocene East Styrian volcanic range. Renowned peaks in the volcanic range include the Stradnerkogel and the Gleichenberge. Standing 582 meters above sea level, the Stradner Kogel is the highest peak in the municipality.
Eleven villages make to the 40.6 square kilometer Bad Gleichenberg. Situated on the Gleichenbach, a Raab River tributary, the town is encircled by the municipalities of Bad Radkersburg, Fehring, Kapfenstein, and Gnas. Both Maribor and Graz are the closest cities. The town is reachable by bus, train, air, and road.
Volcanic action sculpted Bad Gleichenberg’s physical landscape. Cone-shaped and made of tuff and basaltic lava, the Stradner Kogel is the most well-known landform. The town is also renowned for its medicinal thermal springs, which flow from volcanic rock. An additional prominent landform is the Gleichenberger Kogel, a little volcanic cone with a mixed forest covering it.
The Gleichenbach is the principal watercourse in Bad Gleichenberg; it passes through the town and empties into the Raab River. Recreational ponds abound in the town. Outdoor pursuits like hiking and skiing are possible in the nearby mountain ranges, the Gleinalpe and the Pohorje.
Demographics Of Bad Gleichenberg
As of 2021, the population of the municipality of Bad Gleichenberg in the Südoststeiermark region was 5,173. Of all the municipalities in the district, it is the eleventh biggest. Since 2001, the population has somewhat increased by 2.4%; since 2011, it has decreased by 2.4%. The district average population density is more than the 140 persons per square kilometer.
The bulk of people in Bad Gleichenberg are in the adult age range (20–64 years), followed by the senior age group (65 years and beyond) and the children and adolescent age group (0–19 years). 44 years old is the population median, which is little higher than the national average. At 52.2% of the population, women make up a little skewed gender distribution.
Bad Gleichenberg has a quite low ethnic and cultural variety; most people are German speakers and Austrian nationals. The biggest minority groups are the Hungarians, Bosnians and Croatians. Roman Catholicism is the most common religious affiliation; Protestantism, Islam, and other or no religions come next.
Most people in Bad Gleichenberg have finished obligatory schooling, and the educational level there is around average for the country. Primary schools, lower secondary schools, tourist schools, and an agricultural and nutrition school are the principal educational establishments in the municipality.
Being the two main industries in the municipality, tourism and health have a significant impact on employment and occupation in Bad Gleichenberg. Less people are unemployed and the employment rate is greater than the national average.
Economy Of Bad Gleichenberg
In the state of Styria in Austria is the charming spa town of Bad Gleichenberg. With a population of about 5,000, it has a long history as a health resort going back to 1827. The town is well known for its mineral-rich, therapeutic thermal springs. Visits to Bad Gleichenberg’s 20-hectare spa park, one of the biggest and oldest in Europe, come from all over the world.
Agribusiness, tourism, and healthcare are the main sectors of Bad Gleichenberg’s economy. To meet the demands of visitors, the town has a variety of lodging options including hotels, guesthouses, and restaurants. The town also houses a hospital, a rehabilitation facility, and a nursing home that provide the local and surrounding communities with social and medical care.
Modern and highly developed is the town’s infrastructure. Its extensive road system connects it to neighboring cities like Vienna, Graz, and Maribor. Convenient transit choices are also offered by Bad Gleichenberg’s train station, which is a part of the Styrian Eastern train line. Within the town and nearby villages, there is a public bus service, and environmentally friendly transportation is encouraged via a bike rental program. Offering cultural and leisure options, the town has public facilities like a library, museum, theater, cinema, and sports center.
Telecommunications, gas, water, and power are all available in the town with dependability. There is a vast network of buses, trains, and roads as well. Bad Gleichenberg is linked to the A2 highway and the neighboring towns via the major route, B66. Secondary routes connecting the town center to the neighboring settlements include L201, L203, and L204. Regional train lines and local bus services are centered at the town’s railway station, Bad Gleichenberg Bahnhof. The town also offers local and international flight possibilities because of its handy location close to Graz and Maribor airports.
History Of Bad Gleichenberg
The Neolithic era is whence Bad Gleichenberg, an Austrian spa resort, first emerged. The locals liked the excellent water quality and went about their daily business using clay pots, stone axes, and hammers. The Romans exploited the local medicinal waters as well, as seen by a well-preserved fountain ring discovered in 1845.
German for “to resemble” or “to be alike,” “gleichen” is the source of the term. On opposing hills in the vicinity, Alt-Gleichenberg (Old Gleichenberg) and Neu-Gleichenberg (New Gleichenberg) were constructed as castles. Built in 1170 north of the Klausenschlucht, Alt-Gleichenberg Castle was first documented in 1185 as Glichenberch under a castle administrator called Hermann. It functioned as a local nobility’s dwelling and a strategic fortification. The Lords of Walsee, who seized Gleichenberg from the Lords of Wildon in 1292, erected Neu-Gleichenberg Castle in the fourteenth century. The Stubenberg family bought the castle in 1945, when it gained notoriety for witch trials.
Bad Gleichenberg’s contemporary spa town history started in the 19th century at the initiative of Matthias Constantin Capello, Count of Wickenburg (1794–1880). In 1834, he erected the Curbad Gleichenberg’s (Spa Gleichenberg’s) foundation stone and made significant investments in the spa’s amenities. Together with building a church and a monastery, which the Franciscans took over in 1888. Gleichenberg became an autonomous Franciscan parish in 1940.
Designed in the Biedermeier era, Bad Gleichenberg offered guests a calm and elegant environment. Famous people that visited the town included empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi), poets Adalbert Stifter and Peter Rosegger, and composers Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms. Recognising its position as a health resort, the spa town was formally awarded the prefix “Bad” (meaning “bath” or “spa”) under Emperor Franz Joseph I.
Best Time To Visit Bad Gleichenberg
Enchanting Bad Gleichenberg provides a range of activities all year round. Your interests and planned activities will determine when is the ideal time to visit. May, June, September, and October are great months if you like gentle weather and outdoor activities. The town is not very congested and the weather is nice, bright, and dry at this time of year. It’s a terrific season to go bicycling, hiking, and seeing the surrounding countryside.
December, January, and February make the ideal months to travel for a winter escape. The town is jovial because of the snow. Along with visiting the Christmas markets and skiing or sledding in the neighboring mountains, you may take advantage of the warm thermal baths.
In Bad Gleichenberg, July and August are the busiest months if you can handle the heat and the people. Vibrant summertime festivals, concerts, and activities abound throughout the village. The lively ambiance allows you to cool yourself in the outdoor lakes or pools.
March, April, and November are suggested for those on a tight budget. Prices drop and the town is less crowded during these months. The cultural sights, the thermal baths, and the stunning spring or fall hues are still available.
Four different seasons pass through Bad Gleichenberg, and each has its own special appeal. March through May is spring, a season of rebirth and waking. The town turns fresh and green as the weather warms up progressively. It’s a terrific season to go outside and see the gardens and parks.
June to August is summer, when it’s the warmest and muggiest. The town has long, sunny days and is vibrantly alive. Swimming at the thermal baths or exploring the natural lake are two excellent aquatic things to do there. Summertime also brings a range of festivals and cultural activities.
How To Get To Bad Gleichenberg
There are various means of transportation to Bad Gleichenberg. About 60 kilometers distant, Graz Airport is the closest airport if you would rather fly. From Vienna, Munich, Frankfurt, Zurich, Amsterdam, or Istanbul, among other European cities, there are flights to Graz. You may get to Bad Gleichenberg from the airport via taxi, shuttle bus, or auto rental. The hour-long cab ride costs nearly 100 euros. Reservations for the 35 euro per person shuttle bus service run by Thermenland Shuttle must be made at least 24 hours in advance. It takes over an hour to get there as well. Should you prefer to drive, you may pick up a car at the airport, drive to Gleisdorf on the A9, then go to Feldbach on the B68, and lastly to Bad Gleichenberg on the L203. A fifty-minute trip is involved.
An alternate way to get to Bad Gleichenberg is by bus. Frequent bus connections are available from Feldbach, Graz, and other neighboring towns. About ten euros will get you from Graz by bus, which takes roughly an hour and a half. From Feldbach, the bus travel takes roughly twenty minutes and costs three euro. The ÖBB website has the timetables and costs available. Situated close to the tourist office on the main plaza in Bad Gleichenberg is the bus station.
Should you would rather drive, Bad Gleichenberg is accessible from Salzburg or Linz via the A9 highway or from Vienna or Klagenfurt via the A2. To Feldbach and Bad Gleichenberg, use the Gleisdorf exit off the highway. Vienna is around 200 km distant (2 hours), Klagenfurt is around 170 km away (1.5 hours), Salzburg is about 300 km away (3 hours), and Linz is about 250 km away (2.5 hours) depending on your starting place. There is parking at your lodging or in the town center.
Top 10 Restaurants in Bad Gleichenberg
This gourmet haven has something for everyone, whether your tastes run to sophisticated European fare, genuine Austrian food, or international cuisine. Every restaurant, whether it be beautiful and contemporary or quaint and rustic, provides a different eating experience that will tantalize your palate and leave you wanting more.
The small, rustic restaurant Buschenschank Bernhart takes great satisfaction in providing real Austrian and European cuisine prepared with seasonal, regional ingredients. Savor their specialties, which include salads, soups, cold cuts, cheese platters and freshly prepared bread. Remember to check out their wine cellar, where you may buy and sample local wines. Particularly at dusk, the breathtaking view of the Riegersburg castle and the surrounding landscape enhances the appeal of this institution.
For a Michelin-starred meal, visit Geschwister Rauch vulgo Steira Wirt. Run by a brother and sister team, this chic and contemporary restaurant serves seasonal, inventive and sophisticated food. Their menu, which includes chocolate cake with raspberries and fish with asparagus as well as lamb with artichokes, is evidence of their skill in the kitchen. Their lovely garden provides a tranquil setting to go with the delicious food.
In a historic inn is the multi-award winning restaurant Saziani Stub’n. Among the youngest chefs in history to win three Gault Millau toques, Harald Irka presents his creative and avant-garde interpretation of modern Austrian and European cuisine. Through their tasting menu, which includes dishes like strawberry sorbet with basil, duck liver with rhubarb, and beef tartare with elderflower, sample his innovations. This restaurant is a must-visit because of the history, creativity, and organic and regional ingredients.
Top 10 Hotels In Bad Gleichenberg
Adjacent to the spa park lies the 4-star Hotel Allmer. A exercise room, sauna, steam bath, and indoor pool are features of the wellness section. The stylish, roomy accommodations include balconies that front the hills or park. Additionally included in the hotel are a bar, restaurant, and garden patio.
Four-star historical Villa Gleichenberg has been tastefully remodeled with contemporary conveniences. Wooden flooring, flat-screen TVs, and minibars abound in the cosy and pleasant rooms. Together with a yard with a children’s playground and sunbathing grass, the villa also features a spa area with a sauna, hot tub, and relaxation room.
In the heart of Bad Gleichenberg is the 4-star Hotel Stenitzer. There’s an indoor pool with floor to ceiling windows, a furnished patio in the garden, and a spa with a hot tub, saunas, herbal steam bath and solarium. Bright and contemporary, the rooms include satellite TVs, sitting spaces, and balconies. Additionally included in the hotel are a café, restaurant, and wine cellar.
Situated close to the spa park, amid the meadows and the woodland, lies the 4-star Schlössl Hotel Sortl. Along with a fitness center and tennis court, it features a heated outdoor pool, sun terrace, spa with sauna, steam bath, infrared cabin and relaxation room. With fireplaces, canopy beds, and balconies, the rooms are opulent and endearing. Additionally included in the hotel are a bar, restaurant, and library.
One mile from the spa town lies the four-star Vulkanlandhotel Legenstein. Along with a spacious spa area including an indoor and outdoor pool, sauna, steam bath, infrared cabin, and relaxation room, it provides a panoramic view of the volcanic environment. There are balconies, sitting places, and minibars in the roomy, tasteful accommodations. A restaurant, bar, and garden are among amenities of the hotel.
Attractions & Landmarks In Bad Gleichenberg
Rich in history and with outstanding architecture is the parish church of St. Matthias in Bad Gleichenberg, Austria. Matthias Constantin Capello von Wickenburg, a nobilityman and Bad Gleichenberg spa town supporter, created it. He had the too-small bark church built on the spa grounds in 1838 as an emergency chapel. As Gleichenberg changed from being a health resort to a town, he gave the church building to them in 1841. Built following Johann Neuwerth’s designs, the church and monastery were dedicated by Bishop Zichy de Caden on June 29, 1845.
At almost 20 hectares, Kurpark Bad Gleichenberg, often called Curpark, is the oldest spa park in Austria. Matthias Constantin Capello von Wickenburg, a politician and aristocrat interested in the local development and usage of healing springs, created it. Matthias Constantin’s wife Emma Wickenburg fashioned the park in the manner of an English landscape garden. Among the park’s most prominent features is the “Chapel Forest,” a woodland region that was included into the park on a basalt hill. Built for spa patrons in 1838, the bark chapel is located in the woodland.
A stone basin from the first century AD found in 1835, the Roman fountain is one of Bad Gleichenberg’s most impressive monuments. The drinking fountain is housed in the historic section of the 1845 thermal spa. Many spa visitors, many of noble origin, drank their daily remedy of iron-free Gleichenberg water from the drinking fountain.
A nine-hole course in the Southeast Styrian hill region, Golf Club Bad Gleichenberg is intended to test even seasoned golfers with its varied topography, obstacles, and hazards. A 5,486-meter course with a par of 70, it contains water hazards, steep hills, tight fairways, and well-placed bunkers. A calm and unhurried environment is created by the course’s integration with the surroundings.
Bad Gleichenberg Info Card
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Bad Gleichenberg is a municipality in the district of Südoststeiermark in the Austrian state of Styria |
| Elevation | The elevation of Bad Gleichenberg is 295 meters above sea level |
| Population | The population of Bad Gleichenberg as of January 1, 2020 was 5,208 |
| Tourism office | The tourism office of Bad Gleichenberg is located at Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Str. 1/top 4, 8344 Bad Gleichenberg |
| Postal code | The postal code of Bad Gleichenberg is 8344 |
| Phone prefix | The phone prefix of Bad Gleichenberg is +43 3382 |
| Area | The area of Bad Gleichenberg is 40.8 square kilometers |
| Established | Bad Gleichenberg was established as a spa town in 1834 |
| Language | The official language of Bad Gleichenberg is German |
| License plate | The license plate of Bad Gleichenberg is SO (for Südoststeiermark) |
| Districts & Neighborhoods | Bad Gleichenberg consists of 11 districts: Bad Gleichenberg, Bergl, Buchberg, Gleichenberg Dorf, Gossendorf, Klausen, Lauterbach, Merkendorf, Oberstorcha, Sankt Kind, and Trautmannsdorf |
| Weather & Climate | Bad Gleichenberg enjoys a four-season moderate climate. At 9.6°C on average, July is the hottest month (19.7°C) while January is the coldest (-0.8°C). In terms of yearly precipitation, June (128 mm) is the wettest month and February (61 mm) the driest. |
| Best Time To Visit | Your tastes and planned activities will determine when is the best to visit Bad Gleichenberg. Generally speaking, spring and fall are great seasons for hiking, biking, and sightseeing because of the pleasant weather and vibrant scenery. Given the bright and sunny weather, summer is an excellent time to enjoy the water activities, the thermal bath, and the outdoor events. Given its chilly and snowy weather, winter is ideal for leisure, health, and cultural pursuits. |
| Attractions & Landmarks | The Kurpark, a 20-hectare park with old villas and trees; the Styrassic Park, an amusement park with dinosaur models and a recreation area; the Curmuseum, a museum displaying the history and development of the spa town; the Walderlebnispfad, a hiking trail that leads through the forest and offers educational stations; the Albrechtswarte, a lookout tower with panoramic views of the region; and the Vulkanlandmarkt, a farmers market that sells regional goods. |
