Heat shifts visitors to cooler Styrian attractions

Heat drove visitors towards cooler destinations in Styria this summer, with mountains and castles drawing more interest while attendance at Tierpark Herberstein wildlife park fell by half in June, ORF reported.

Walking and hiking attracted noticeably fewer visitors. At Bärenschützklamm gorge, the Alpine Club’s Mixnitz branch expects about 35,000 visitors this year, down from an average of around 40,000 in previous years.

Southern Styria also recorded fewer active holidaymakers, including cyclists and hikers, at Buschenschenken. Many apparently chose cooler areas such as the Koralm instead. The local tourism association said hiking trails, mountain biking routes and mountain huts there were busier than in previous years.

The heat also affected the region’s two wildlife parks. At Herberstein, visitor numbers fell from the usual 30,000 to 15,000 in June before recovering in July and August. At the higher-altitude Wild Mountain in Mautern, attendance remained at the previous year’s level.

Visitor numbers at the Erzberg mining attraction, whose cool tunnels were apparently even more appealing this year, also stayed unchanged. The same applied to day visitors at Styrian thermal spas.

More visitors were recorded at cooler destinations such as Riegersburg fortress and the castles of Kapfenstein and Kornberg, according to the thermal region.