A Romanesque basilica, an 85-metre-long wooden bridge and mountain activities at Kreischberg bring different highlights to a stay in Sankt Georgen ob Murau. If you would like to combine culture and activity, you’ll find practical ideas here to help plan your trip—from historic churches to walks, cycling options and mountain activities.
Discover churches and timber construction
The parish church of St. Georgen was consecrated as a Romanesque basilica on 23 August 1188 by Archbishop Albert of Salzburg. Its construction probably took about a decade. The church was later remodelled in the Gothic style, given three naves and vaulted. Its different construction phases can therefore be traced. The St. Michael’s mortuary chapel in the charnel house dates to 1653 and adds another ecclesiastical building to this historical perspective.
Another architectural landmark is the wooden European Bridge: It spans the Mur, is 85 metres long and connects the districts of St. Georgen and St. Lorenzen. To this day, it is considered Europe’s longest wooden bridge approved for heavy goods traffic. Its length, material and function make it a destination in its own right for anyone interested in timber construction.
In St. Lorenzen, the Church of St. Lawrence has a painted wooden ceiling. Its wooden confessional dates to 1607 and is considered the oldest in the Alpine region. It is a simple piece of joinery with pyrography and an inscription. Those who appreciate artisanal details can explore this interior as a cultural highlight in its own right, alongside the architectural features of the parish church of St. Georgen.
The Wood Museum in St. Ruprecht ob Murau has been part of the Murau timber region since 1988. Spread across more than 10,000 square metres of indoor and outdoor space, it provides information about wood as a raw material. Special exhibitions are held annually or every two years. Check the current exhibition dates before your trip if a special exhibition is important to your visit.
Kreischberg: summer trails and mountain activities
In summer, the Kreischberg summer lift takes visitors from the valley to an elevation of 1,800 metres in a 10-person gondola. In the summer area, you can walk across flat alpine meadows and through the Swiss stone pine forest. For another way to spend time in the forest, there is the DiscGolf Park Kreischberg, also at 1,800 metres: It has nine holes as well as a five-hole taster course.
Other activities at Kreischberg offer short, clearly defined experiences. At the tubing attraction, you ride an inflatable tube down one of three secured lanes for about 200 metres; a bank on the opposite side slows you down. This activity is seasonal. On the Kreischberg speed track, your speed is measured on a steep slope about 100 metres long. Dinowald is accessible via a short path from the mountain station of the Kreischberg gondola; access may vary depending on lift operations.
For winter days, the Kreischberg ski area lists a total of 42 kilometres of ski runs. A 10-person gondola takes visitors up to an elevation of 2,050 metres. As ski-run information can change with the seasons and lift infrastructure may be updated, it’s worth checking the details and timetable for your planned visit. The ski area’s activities offer a different focus from the summer area’s walks and DiscGolf courses.
Puzzle trails, cycling and other activities
The Detective Trail is a stamp-based puzzle game through St. Georgen and St. Lorenzen. At the stations, you’ll find colourful little houses with hidden stamps. The route links the two places through a shared game, while the trail itself invites you to explore and solve puzzles.
If you’re interested in cycling, Bike Kreischberg offers e-bikes for hire, including children’s bikes, as well as child and dog trailers. Cycling courses with different focuses are also available for children and adults. The hire options and courses are different ways to make your stay active; the right choice depends on your interests and travel group.
The Schopfart 3D Archery Park has a course with around 30 lifelike 3D animal targets. Equipment can be hired on site. Allow about 1.5 to 2 hours for a round; advance booking by phone is required. The St. Georgen am Kreischberg tourist office is opposite the railway station in St. Lorenzen and provides a convenient place to get your bearings locally.
You can choose what to do based on your preferred focus: historic buildings and woodworking, walks and activities at Kreischberg, or pursuits such as the puzzle trail, cycling and archery. For seasonal activities and the archery park, check the dates relevant to your visit and whether advance booking is required.
Discover more destinations: Oberwölz area, Schönberg-Lachtal, Sankt Lorenzen bei Scheifling, Krakauschatten, Predlitz-Turrach, Laßnitz bei Murau, Neumarkt In Steiermark, Niederwölz.
Return to the main travel overview: Murau.
