Spielberg lies in the multifaceted, natural landscape of the Upper Mur Valley and invites you to a variety of sporting activities. A comprehensive cultural and leisure offer attracts countless guests. Whether young or old, there is something for everyone here.

The area of ​​today's municipality of Spielberg is made up of several historically developed areas, of which today's districts Ingering and Lind are the most historically interesting. It was first mentioned in the years between 860 and 890, making it one of the oldest settlements in Upper Styria.

Motorsport

The Red Bull Ring is probably the best known and most popular destination in the region. Every year around one million visitors come to Spielberg who want to attend the major motorsport events such as Formula 1, Moto GP, Air Race, ... - or maybe even drive themselves.

Culture/Events

Spielberg is also known for its lively cultural scene, where young and talented artists have been given the opportunity to perform for decades. These remain loyal to the city and so you will find names like Thomas Stipsits, Paul Pizzera as well as the Seer and Wolfgang Ambros in the cultural program.

History

As in many other areas, forms of settlement can be demonstrated in the Spielberg area well before the beginning of Roman rule. The story tells that Celts had settled and settled here in the first millennium BC and thus belonged to the Kingdom of Noricum, whose main source of income was cattle breeding. The original inhabitants of the Murbodens, in the center of which Spielberg is located, may have reached Carinthia along the Lavanttal via shelter in what would later become Bavarian Eichfeld. Another inflow certainly came from the east via the Gaberl and the Salzstiegl.

Finds from the Roman period document the existence of provincial Roman art, as the example of a relief on the farm building of the parish Lind shows. The Mars Latobius depicted there is undoubtedly to be seen in a direct connection with the world-famous youth from Magdalensberg (Carinthia). In connection with the later Slavic and Bavarian settlement, the question of the original church of Upper Styria has remained largely unanswered to this day. The name ad Undrimas means the location of the church from which the further Christianization took place. In addition to Lind, Pöls and Fohnsdorf as well as the cemetery church in Knittelfeld appear as possible locations.

Numerous reports have survived from both the Middle Ages and modern times. Spielberg appears in the literary works of Ulrich von Liechtenstein (women's service) as well as in the rhyming chronicle of Ottokar from the Gaal. The immediate vicinity of Seckau meant that, in addition to the monastery having a strong influence, it was also possible to establish close historical relationships between the two municipalities. The copper engravings of Georg Matthäus Vischer in his Topographia Ducatus Stiriae, published in 1681, report on the structural diversity of past centuries.

Spielberg Castle as the namesake

Anyone who is looking for a "SpielBERG - searches in vain" because the name comes from Schloss Spielberg, which previously gave its name to the surrounding rulers and later to today's city. The history of this building, which was built in 1570, is also associated with the career of a number of noble families, including the Teufenbacher, Heinrichsperger and Lachawitz. The castle has been owned by the Arbesser-Rastburg family since the beginning of the 19th century.

Spielberg is growing

A few years after the award of its own coat of arms, Spielberg was raised to the market town in 1986 and to the township on October 1, 2009. Since 1995/96 there has been a shopping, cultural and economic center in Spielberg. ATB, an international company, has settled here and the Red Bull Ring has also created numerous new jobs.

In the municipal area of ​​Spielberg is the race track (originally Österreichring), on which the Austrian Grand Prix in the Formula 1 World Championship was held from 1970 to 1987 and from 1997 to 2003. This event was an important economic factor for the municipality and the region. After the ring had already been torn down, it became known in April 2008 that the Austrian beverage manufacturer Red Bull wanted to rebuild the route. The ring was modernized, the route remained the same. The racetrack got the name Red Bull Ring. On May 15, 2011, the ring was officially opened with an open house. The first major event on the new ring took place on June 5, 2011 with the DTM race. Formula 1 races have been taking place again since 2014 and the region around the Red Bull Ring has risen again to a racing destination! The Moto GP has been part of the racing series since 2016 and is one of the most popular motorsport events in the region.