Bärnbach offers several distinct cultural themes: traditional handmade glassmaking, a church shaped by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, and art in the city park and along a cultural trail. There is also a gallery in honour of Franz Weiß and a museum dedicated to castles at Alt-Kainach Castle. When planning your visit, it is therefore helpful to decide whether you want to focus on craftsmanship, architecture, art, or the history of Styrian castles and palaces.

Glassmaking with a pre-booked guided tour

During pre-booked guided tours of the Stölzle Bärnbach glassworks, you can watch glass being made by hand using traditional methods. Here, the manufacturing process takes centre stage, while the church, cultural trail and museums offer other ways to explore the local culture. If you would like to visit the glassworks, book your tour in advance and confirm the arrangements before travelling. This lets you factor the appointment into your travel plans.

St Barbara’s Church and art in the city park

St Barbara’s Church in Bärnbach was redesigned in 1987/88 based on a concept by Friedensreich Hundertwasser; the surrounding area was also redesigned. The church’s twelve gates symbolise the twelve world religions. This offers two distinct ways to view the building: its redesign and surroundings, and the religious symbolism of the gates. In the city park, the Moses Fountain, designed by Prof. Ernst Fuchs, adds to the focus on art. While the church draws attention to its concept and symbols, the fountain invites visitors to focus on a single designed object.

Art and cultural trail, getting there and cycling

The Bärnbach Art and Cultural Trail leads visitors to the various art installations with the help of stainless-steel tiles embedded in the ground. The tiles also help with navigation, guiding visitors to the artworks along the trail. Guided tours are available; check in advance for current visiting and tour options. To get there, you can take S-Bahn line S7 to Bärnbach station and then RegioBus 703 to the Bärnbach Hauptplatz stop. Alternatively, RegioBus 702 goes to Bärnbach Oberglas Kantine. Check connections before travelling. Another cycling option is the Kainachtal Cycle Route R14, which starts either in Bärnbach town centre or at St Barbara’s Church. This gives you different ways to plan your visit: the cultural trail focuses on artworks and possible guided tours, while on the R14 you can choose between two starting points.

Museums and Alt-Kainach Castle

The Franz Weiß Museum opened on 18 January 2009 as a permanent gallery in honour of Franz Weiß. The museum dedicated to castles at Alt-Kainach Castle focuses on a different subject: photos and models at a scale of 1:100 offer insights into the typology and chronology of Styrian castles and palaces. A scale of 1:100 means that the models show the buildings at one hundredth of their actual size, making it possible to appreciate their dimensions in a compact display. In terms of subject matter, you can choose between a gallery dedicated to Franz Weiß and an overview of Styrian castle and palace styles. Visits to Alt-Kainach Castle can be arranged by phone from May to October.

Discover more destinations: Kniezenberg, Steinberg Bei Ligist, Hirschegg-Piber-Sonnseite, Ligist, Maria Lankowitz, Modriach, Hirschegg-Rein, Krottendorf Bei Ligist.

Go to the overview of the wider region: Voitsberg.