Museum Murtal

About the museum

Between the 8th and 5th centuries BC, several thousand people lived on the Falkenberg above the Aichfeld. The settlement lay on important trade routes through the Alps, and the region's iron deposits and the salt trade towards Hallstatt brought prosperity. Large burial mounds of the upper class near Strettweg are a reminder of this; one of them yielded the famous Strettweg cult wagon, discovered in 1851 when a mound was being levelled.

The settlement itself was only found in 2004. In 2011 the Arbeitskreis Falkenberg was founded, which organised and funded excavations and investigations in Strettweg-Waltersdorf and was awarded a medal of merit by the Federal Monuments Office in 2015. The research gave rise to the wish to show the results on the spot.

To this end, from 2017 a wing of the former Franciscan or Minorite monastery in the centre of Judenburg was converted, financed with funds from the EU, the federal government and the province, among others. The Museum Murtal opened on 9 November 2019. On around 500 square metres it shows the finds from the so-called cult wagon grave and the helmet grave, explains archaeological methods and leads back into the Iron Age via a passage called the “Wheel of Time”. A copy of the Strettweg cult wagon stands on the forecourt; the original belongs to the Joanneum in Graz.

Highlights

• Finds from the cult wagon grave and the helmet grave of the Hallstatt period
• Journey through time along the “Wheel of Time” passage and a walk-on map of Iron Age trade routes
• Copy of the Strettweg cult wagon on the forecourt
• Archaeological treasure hunt and riddle rally for children
• Library and museum shop in the former monastery

Permanent exhibitions

• Die Region in der Hallstattzeit – A walk-on map shows the cultural and economic connections of the Iron Age settlement on the Falkenberg.
• Das Kultwagengrab: Prunkgrab einer Hallstattfürstin? – Furnishings and finds from the Strettweg cult wagon grave give an insight into upper-class burials around 2,700 years ago.
• Das Helmgrab: Schatzgrab eines Kriegers – The room shows grave goods from the helmet grave, including the helmet that gave it its name.

Founded

2019

Operated by

Arbeitskreis Falkenberg (Verein)

Admission & discounts

Group price for members and MurtalCard holders 5.50 euros. Use of the library is free of charge.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

Museum education programmes by prior booking: legend special (about 1 hour, for young and old), archaeological treasure hunt with a dig box for children aged 6 to 12 (about 2 hours), archaeological drawing and a children's riddle rally (each about 2 hours).

Getting there & parking

By car via the S36 Murtal expressway, exit Judenburg West, then Burggasse towards the centre.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop and library on site.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit