Travel Guide Leoben

On the banks of the River Mur, Leoben is a major industrial and commercial center that has grown steadily, particularly in the industrial age of course, with numerous mines and forges, benefiting from the proximity of large steel-producing units and the Erzberg, aptly nicknamed the "Iron Mountain". Napoleon came to Leoben in 1797 to sign the preliminaries of a peace treaty. Other notable visitors included Thomas Edison and cartoonist Paul Flora, who made the pun: Leoben müssen wir loben ("We must praise Leoben"). Today, Leoben is a dynamic city of 25,000 inhabitants, with a pleasant pedestrian zone around its Hauptplatz. The city center is bordered on both sides by the Mur, which encircles it in a soft, watery loop. The city's School of Mining is one of Europe's most highly regarded. It is home to numerous research institutes in the field of energy production. But Leoben's great specialty is its Gösser Bier, brewed on site and famous throughout Austria. And when it comes to sports, Leoben offers a wealth of opportunities, such as the 41 km of well-maintained and signposted hiking trails or the R2 cycling route, better known as the "Mur Route", which attracts sports enthusiasts. The historic center of Loeben, set in a loop of the river, is a real attraction. You can spend a pleasant, timeless moment at a terrace on the banks of the Mur.