Customs and tradition in Upper Styria
| The mountainous region of Upper Styria in the north of the province was once called the „Iron Marches“ because of the prevalence of the iron processing industry there.
The Erzberg („Ore Mountain“), the source of iron for the many scythe smiths and steelworks which used to exist in this region, is still being mined today.
The region’s climate has a strong Alpine influence. With an annual rainfall of 2080mm and 178 rainy days a year (measured in Altaussee), Upper Styria has Styria’s highest precipitation rate. But here too exceptions prove the rule – the plateaus around Aflenz and the Ramsau region have more sunny days per year than any other part of Styria.
The Dachstein, which at 2995m is the highest peak in the limestone Alps in northern Styria, is also the highest mountain in Styria as a whole. The north-eastern part of the Upper Styrian landscape is dominated by the Lower Tauern range, the largest mountain range in Styria with a total of 47 peaks over 2500m.