"STYRIA or STEIERMARK (in German)" Bundesland Steiermark by longsanborn

Styria (German: Steiermark) is a state or Land, located in the southeast of Austria. In area, it is the second largest of the nine Austrian states, covering 16,388 km². It borders Slovenia as well as the other Austrian states of Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Salzburg, Burgenland, and Carinthia. The capital city is Graz.

If you ask Austrians where the best place is to spend holidays in their country, majority of them will end up saying: ‘Styria’. The Styrians have a reputation for being excellent hosts and offering ‘great value for money’, for being ‘child-friendly’, ‘excellent in terms of great food’ and ‘authentic’. The main reasons cited for spending a holiday over here are ‘wellness & pleasure’, and ‘active enjoyment of nature’ .

Steiermark Weinstrasse

The best time to visit Steiermark would be in late summer and autumn when the scenic mountain views are great. October is a popular months amongst Austrians as this is when the grapes are harvested and the fermented grape juice called "Sturm" is served.

• Pros:Great scenery, food and wine; Close to nature
• Cons:Narrow country roads, crowded and far from Vienna
• In a nutshell:I love it.