Murau

Murau is a town in the western part of the Austrian federal state of Styria. It is the administrative seat of Murau District. Geography The historic town is located in mountainous Upper Styria in the valley of the Mur river between the Lower Tauern range and the Gurktal Alps. The municipal area comprises the cadastral communities of Laßnitz-Lambrecht, Murau proper and Sankt Egidi, as well as the former independent municipalities of Laßnitz bei Murau, Stolzalpe and Triebendorf which were incorporated in the course of a 2015 administrative reform. Murau currently has a population of 3,688. The town's economy largely depends on tourism, especially in the nearby Kreischberg ski resort. It is also known for its brewing tradition (Murauer Bier) documented since the 15th century. Murau station is a stop on the narrow-gauge Mur Valley Railway (Murtalbahn), running along the Mur river from Unzmarkt up to Mauterndorf in Salzburg. History The area was already settled in the Bronze Age through the Roman Era. Based on an entry in the Tabula Peutingeriana the ancient city of Noreia, capital of the Celtic kingdom Noricum, was thought to be near Murau in the late 18th and the 19th century. However, no archaeological evidence has been found so far.