Short Break: Europe

High peaks, rampant forest, delicious wine, striking design – the Austrian state of Styria and its cool capital make the ideal choice for a back-to-nature escape, reckons Robin Mckelvie

Get inspired, plan and go the short-haul way to our very own incredible continent and its wondrous regions, cities and national parks.

It’s easy to see why Styria is eulogised as the ‘Green Heart’ of landlocked Austria.the state is almost 60% tree-cloaked and home to one national park – Gesäuse – and seven nature parks. Hiking is the traditional way of exploring, and there are options to suit all, from testing routes among high peaks that top out at 2,995m to longdistance forays, lovely lake loops and low-level walks for more amateur amblers. Myriad other summer pursuits are possible, including superb mountain-biking, plus you can ski year-round.

Styria is also a world-class wine region – the vine-cloaked slopes of the south have been dubbed ‘Styrian Tuscany’. After a day spent drinking in the region’s great outdoors, drink in its fine welschrieslings, traminers and sauvignon blancs. People here love their food, too – the state is famed for its bountiful fresh herbs, vegetables and apples. Other renowned local produce includes alpine oxen, fresh trout and perch, and

kürbiskernöl, the glorious pumpkin seed oil that features in many Styrian dishes.

It’s not just nature that excels. Styria has an array of impressive castles, palaces and monasteries that reveal its rich history. Graz is the undoubted star: the state capital is one of Mitteleuropa’s most alluring cities, and ideal for a city break or base for longer trips. Its UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Town is a chocolate-box feast, crammed with a mix of styles – from Gothic to Baroque, Renaissance to Art Nouveau – that tell its story from the medieval period. But the city doesn’t rest on its historic laurels. Named European Capital of Culture in 2003 and a UNESCO City of Design in 2011, there is cutting-edge modern architecture here, too, including the balloon-like Kunsthaus contemporary art museum and the glass-and-steel Murinsel ‘island’, spanning the Mur River.

Beyond Graz are a string of characterful towns: historic Bruck an der Mur; the spa resort of Bad Blumau; the pastel-hued houses of Murau; and a swathe of traditional villages. The larger centres buzz with urban energy, but things slip back in pace as you venture out to the smaller spots and get in among the soaring mountains, sweeping glaciers, dense forests, alpine pastures and ice-blue lakes and rivers – the Austria of your imagination.

Grazing in Graz (clockwise from this) In Graz the modern Kunsthaus sits within walking distance of the historic main square; elsewhere, Styria is smothered in trees