Styria in the context of "Slavic settlement of the Eastern Alps"

The Burgstallkogel (458 meters or 1563 feet; also known as Grillkogel) is a hill situated near the confluence of the Sulm and the Saggau river valleys in Southern Styria in Austria, about 30 km south of Graz between Gleinstätten and Kleinklein. The hill hosted a significant settlement of trans-regional importance from 800 BC to about 600 BC. Surrounding the hill is one of the largest Iron Age necropolises in continental Europe, originally composed of at least 2,000 tumuli.

Graz (German: [ɡraːts] ) is the capital of the Austrian state of Styria and the second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 including secondary residence). In 2023, the population of the Graz functional urban area (FUA) stood at 660,238. Graz is known as a city of higher education, with four colleges and four universities. Combined, the city is home to more than 63,000 students. Its historic centre (Altstadt) is one of the best-preserved city centres in Central Europe.

The earliest documented mention of Graz dates to the 12th century, when it emerged as a fortified settlement under the rule of the Babenbergs. During the Late Middle Ages, the city developed into an important commercial and administrative center and, from the 14th century onward, served as the residence of the Inner Austrian branch of the Habsburg dynasty. This period was marked by significant cultural and architectural growth, with Renaissance and Baroque buildings shaping the historic city center. Graz also functioned as a strategic military stronghold against the Ottoman Empire, reflected in the fortifications constructed on the Schlossberg. In the 19th and 20th centuries, industrialization and subsequent modernization established Graz as a major urban and educational center, a role it continues to hold in contemporary Austria.

Rudolf of Habsburg (1 May 1218 – 15 July 1291) was a German nobleman and the first member of the House of Habsburg to become King of the Romans, reigning from 1273 until his death. Born into a relatively minor noble family, Rudolf succeeded his father as Count of Habsburg in 1240, gradually expanding his power through military campaigns, political alliances, and the construction of key fortresses such as Neuhabsburg Castle. His marriage to Gertrude of Hohenberg further strengthened his position among the Swabian nobility. During the turbulent period of the Great Interregnum, Rudolf distinguished himself both as a formidable military leader—participating in regional conflicts and even joining the Prussian Crusade in 1254—and as a restorer of order, often intervening against robber barons and feuding nobles. Despite facing excommunication due to disputes with the Church, Rudolf ultimately reconciled with ecclesiastical authorities and built a reputation for fairness and pragmatism. In 1273, he was elected King of the Romans, ending decades of imperial vacancy and division. As king, Rudolf reasserted imperial authority in Germany, notably defeating King Ottokar II of Bohemia and securing Habsburg control over Austria, Styria, and Carinthia. His reign laid the foundations for the rise of the Habsburg dynasty, which would become one of the most influential royal houses in European history. Rudolf died in 1291, leaving a legacy of restored stability and dynastic ambition within the Holy Roman Empire.

Upper Austria (German: Oberösterreich [ˈoːbɐˌ(ʔ)øːstɐraɪç] ; Bavarian: Obaöstareich; Czech: Horní Rakousy [ˈɦorɲiː ˈrakousɪ]) is one of the nine states of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg. With an area of 11,982 km (4,626 sq mi) and 1.49 million inhabitants, Upper Austria is the fourth-largest Austrian state by land area and the third-largest by population.

Hoher Dachstein (German: [ˈhoːɐ̯ ˈdaxʃtaɪn]) is a strongly karstic mountain in central Austria and the second-highest mountain in the Northern Limestone Alps. It is situated at the border of Upper Austria and Styria, and is the highest point in each of those states. Parts of the massif also lie in the state of Salzburg, leading to the mountain being referred to as the Drei-Länder-Berg ("three-state mountain").

The Dachstein massif covers an area of around 600 square kilometres (230 sq mi) with dozens of peaks above 2,500 m, the highest of which are in the southern and southwestern areas. The main summit of the Hoher Dachstein is at an elevation of 2,997 metres (9,833 ft). Seen from the north, the Dachstein massif is dominated by glaciers with rocky summits rising beyond them. By contrast, to the south, the mountain drops almost vertically to the valley floor.

Central or Middle Bavarian form a subgroup of Bavarian dialects in large parts of Austria and the Free State of Bavaria along the Danube river, on the northern side of the Eastern Alps. They are spoken in the 'Old Bavarian' regions of Upper Bavaria (with Munich), Lower Bavaria and in the adjacent parts of the Upper Palatinate region around Regensburg, in Upper and Lower Austria, in Vienna (see Viennese German), in the state of Salzburg, as well as in the northern and eastern parts of Styria and Burgenland. Before 1945 and the expulsions of the Germans, it was also spoken in Hungary and southern Bohemia and Moravia.It also influenced Austrian German.

The Sulm (Austrian German: [sʊlm]) is a river in Southern Styria, Austria. It is 29.3 km (18.2 mi) long (66.0 km (41.0 mi) including its longer source river Schwarze Sulm [ceb; de; sv]). Its drainage basin is 1,121 km (433 sq mi). Its two source rivers Schwarze and Weiße Sulm [ceb; de; sv] both originate at the eastern slopes of the Koralpe (a north-south running mountain range in the Southeastern Alps which separates Styria from Carinthia). It flows eastwards towards the Mur through the districts of Deutschlandsberg and Leibnitz. The Sulm valley runs from the Western Styrian hill ranges to the Eastern Styrian hills and lowlands.

Gleinstätten (German: [glaɪ̯nˈstɛtn̩]) is a market community in southern Austria (state Styria, district Leibnitz) which had 4,232 inhabitants in 2019.