Romanischer Stadtrundgang, Hartberg

Name: Romanischer Stadtrundgang, Hartberg
Brand: Steiermark
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)

When you visit a city, you are touched by its essence. Which century and which architectural style shaped the image of the city? Hartberg's most precious treasure is the Karner, a jewel of Romanesque architecture.

At the foot of the Ringkogel, the town's local mountain, findings prove Roman settlement. The Western Roman Empire fell, but the Roman road network remained. Where the Hartberg Road and the Strata Hungarica intersect, Margrave Leopold of the House of Traungau decided to found Hartberg as a regional market and trade centre.

From 1122 onwards Hartberg was developed as the first palatinate (provincial administrative centre) of the Traungau dynasty. That period is still reflected today; medieval traces lend the townscape an incomparable atmosphere. After the Hungarian invasions had been overcome, the town began to flourish. The beginning of an artistic activity thus lies in the Romanesque period and covers the reign of the Traungau dynasty, the Babenberg dynasty that inherited it, up to the Bohemian King Ottokar.

The Traungau dynasty resided as Margraves of Steyer in the town of Steyr. They initiated a large-scale wave of clearing, which resulted in the founding of settlements. Graz is considered to be the second palatinate of the Traungau dynasty, which developed into the residence of the country. In 1180, the Margraviate of Steyer became the Duchy of Styria.

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

Best season

January

February

March

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October

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December

The tour in numbers

1,7 km

Route

1:30 h

Time

39 hm

Uphill

23 hm

Downhill

381 m

Highest point

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More information

accessible via the A2 Südautobahn exit Hartberg
in Hartberg follow the signs to Innenstadt/Zentrum

Hartberg, city park

START at the Römerstein, Grablöwe. This is where the terraced Old Town Park begins. See the Reckturm, fortified tower but also the town prison.Pass the well-preserved town wall and walk up to the laundry pond. Until the 50s of the 20th century, women still rubbed their laundry here on friction boards and washed it in the Brühlbach stream.
Turn right, you will come to the gate of the old city wall. You enter the castle park, Hartberg Castle is on your left. The extensive park with its valuable giant trees and climate-friendly young trees invites you to linger.
Another castle gate leads into Herrengasse. In the Middle Ages, this was the lane market, at the end of which was the Strata Hungarica, the city's main thoroughfare. With a view of the most beautiful photo motif, follow the lower end of Herrengasse to the left of today's Michaeligasse and after about 100 m turn left up to Kirchengasse, where the main square opens up on the right. This square was laid out in 1147, when the Gassenmarkt was bursting at the seams, as the first square market in the region. This is considered a prototype in medieval town planning, from which the rectangular shape of the square developed, which is the centre of many historic town centres.
Cross the square and turn right at the oak tree into Hartberg's pedestrian zone. In the Middle Ages, the town stream flowed here in an open channel through the former Zapfgasse. Today, Der Steinerne Fluss (The Stone River), a three-part fountain installation by Ulrike Truger, is a reminder of the city's first water conduit. Spring - wave - waterfall symbolise the course of the underground city stream in the form of three serpentine blocks. Stroll to Rochuspark, where the historic town pond adjoins.
Cross the bridge and marvel at the mighty Schölbinger Tower. This is the second fortified tower, next to the Reckturm in the city park, which dates from the Romanesque period. At the archway, the path leads back onto the old Roman road Strata Ungarica (Michaeligasse). With a view of the charnel house and the gold-leafed spire of the parish church of St. Martin, walk up to the staircase of the former sacristan's house or the first school in the town. Go up here, cross the passageway and you are on the church square. The charnel house is on your right, a flight of steps leads you up to the portal entrance.
The Hartberg Carner is one of the most important Austrian architectural monuments of the Romanesque period. Its equal can only be found in the Lower Austrian dominion of the Babenbergs. The verticality of the slender building structure, which is brought about by the columns in front of it, is strikingly "modern" and reminiscent of the early Gothic period. On the west side, a flight of steps leads to the entrance in the rotunda, where a rich series of pictures tells biblical stories.
The frescoes date from the 13th century. At the end of the 19th century, the frescoes, which had disappeared under whitewash, were uncovered and extensively restored. Although some additions to missing parts are disputed and the original colours are no longer visible today due to overpainting, the motifs still show an incredible intensity. The depictions also testify to the extraordinary creativity of the anonymous artist.
The pictorial programme is a figurative interpretation of biblical texts:
ROTUNDE In the main room, Christ, enthroned as ruler of the world, and the twelve apostles are seen above. In the lower section is the allegorical representation of David's dream. It is the vision of Daniel, who saw four beasts coming out of a sea, which were interpreted as kingdoms.
APSIS Root of Jesse as the genealogy of Christ, Mother of God enthroned with Child Jesus, gifts of the Holy Spirit, saints with banners.